For children and young people in care, the summer break can often bring significant changes - transitioning between schools, year levels, or teachers, and changes to daily routine. In response to children's rising needs, we often find ourselves doubling our efforts to provide care. Although this extra effort is crucially important, taking care of ourselves can quickly fall to the bottom of our priorities.

In August 2024, the Australian Children’s Commissioner released the report ‘Help Way Earlier! How Australia can transform child justice to improve the safety and wellbeing of children.’ The report investigates gaps in Australian youth justice systems and opportunities for reform, providing 24 recommendations for a cohesive coordinated response to one of the most urgent human rights issues facing Australia today.

For OT week this year, CETC ran a virtual workshop on attuning to the sensory needs of children and young people in care. Focusing on the power of co-regulation to teach self-regulation, Jenny Gay and Jess Wright were able to breakdown the basics of sensory processing, and how to adapt our care to identify and consistently meet the evolving sensory needs of children through our relationships.