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Child’s Emotional Support Tools

Child’s Emotional Support Tools – Post Placement

What It Includes

1. Customisable “My New Home” Storybook

  • An illustrated, personalisable digital or print book introducing the child’s new life and family.

  • Tailored by country, caregiver type, and cultural setting.
    Examples:

  • “My New Home With Grandma in Jamaica”

  • “Living With My Auntie in Poland”

  • “Our House in the Countryside” (for rural settings)

  • Each story includes:

  • Familiar UK references (e.g., foster carer, old school, teddy)

  • Gentle introduction to the new home, routines, and people

  • Phrases like “Your mummy loved you so much, she made a big decision to help you grow safe and strong” (adjusted to case circumstances)

  • Pages where carers can paste real photos of the child’s new room, garden, pet, or family members.

Happy family of three smiles for a photo.
Happy girl and dad high-five, celebrating success

2. Life Story Book Continuation Pages

Printable inserts or digital templates that link to UK life and past experiences, including:

  • “This is where I lived before”

  • “People who helped me”

  • “My favourite food / game / song”

  • “Things I want to remember”
    Designed for children to complete with carers using drawing, photos, or stickers.

3. Visual Routine Charts with Editable Icons

Simple, colour-coded icons for:

  • Morning (wake up, brush teeth, dress, breakfast)

  • Afternoon (playtime, quiet time, meals)

  • Evening (bath, story, bedtime)
    Editable fields so carers can input culturally relevant variations (e.g., siesta, family prayer, communal dinner)

Charts can be printed and laminated or used on a tablet. Dual-language versions available.

4. Emotion Cards (Bilingual)

A core emotional literacy tool using faces, colours, and body clues to help the child identify and express how they feel.

Delivered in English and local language — e.g. Polish, Yoruba, Urdu, Spanish Emotions covered include:

  • Happy, sad, angry, scared, worried, excited, shy, tired

  • With back explanations for carers on how to respond non-judgmentally to each.

5. Printable / Digital Play-Based Worksheets

Age-appropriate tools for expression through drawing and play, such as:

  • “Draw Your Happy Place”

  • “If I Had a Magic Backpack…”

  • “All About Me” sheet (likes/dislikes, foods, people, toys)

  • Colour-in houses, pets, or feelings with open-ended prompts
    Can be used weekly as a check-in with the child or shared with professionals.

Parents gently brushing daughter's long hair
Mother lovingly embraces her son outdoors

6. Optional Add-Ons

  • Sensory regulation guide (how to help the child feel calm using touch, smell, sound)

  • Bedtime meditation scripts (gentle phrases to help children settle)

  • “Feelings Jar” activity: printable template where children colour and fill in how they felt each day for one week.

Benefits

  • Promotes emotional literacy even where children lack the words or confidence to speak

  • Builds identity continuity by preserving links to the child’s life in the UK

  • Creates safe rituals through visual routines and predictable sequences

  • Supports attachment by giving carers guided tools to understand behaviours as communication

  • Culturally inclusive and translatable, respecting the child’s heritage and new environment

  • Encourages non-verbal communication, reducing stress where language barriers or trauma are present

  • Reduces the risk of behavioural escalation by helping the child feel seen, named, and understood.

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