As the year draws to a close, many service families across Australia are packing up their homes and preparing for new postings. For children in military and first responder families, these moves often mean transitioning between city, regional, rural and remote communities due to their parent’s work- adding another layer of adjustment to an already challenging time.
To support families with young children through these transitions, an innovative, evidence-based storybook has been developed that explores the unique challenges of moving between different community settings through the heartwarming correspondence between a child and their grandfather.
The reality of regular relocations
Children from first responder and military families relocate with their parents, sometimes as frequently as every 18 months to 24 months. This creates opportunities for them to experience life in different communities, learn new coping strategies, and try out different early childhood services and schools.
Despite this, frequently relocating can disrupt close connections with educators, which is the hallmark of quality education in early childhood services. Additionally, they can miss out on learning certain skills at school when they jump between terms, year groupings, and different education systems. Making friends at a new education service might be a challenge, and they are sad to lose their old friends. Also, extra-curricula and community activities might change between communities, breaking continuity in their learning, skill development, identity and sense of belonging.
The storybook project
Drawing on extensive consultation with service families and support workers across regional, rural and metropolitan areas, the storybook developed a narrative that authentically reflects their experiences. The story centres on Caleb, whose father is a police officer and whose father’s partner services in the Navy, representing both first responder and military families. Caleb’s grandfather, who grew up in a paramedic family, offers wisdom and support through their exchanged letters, emails and texts as Caleb adapts to life in different communities.
The story naturally evolves as Caleb grows, showcasing various coping strategies and protective factors that can help children build resilience, whether their moving to a remote outpost or a major city. The storybook is beautifully illustrated with a range of engaging characters to appeal to young readers while reinforcing key messages about adaptation and belonging.
The book includes two pages of educational activities for children to extend their learning and to provide a way to start conversations about relocations with caring adults. The prologue includes information for parents, educators and support workers based on lived experience and practitioner expertise.
Additionally, plain English research-based information is provided in the epilogue to support adults' knowledge, skills, and confidence in supporting these children. The storybook is accompanied by modules about relocation for parents, support workers, and educators.
Feedback
Feedback from families and educators across diverse geographical settings has been overwhelmingly positive:
“A great resource and is flexible enough to lead to many different learning experiences,” shared one respondent. Another noted, “It provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges and frequency of moving. It was good to get a conversation around feelings happening”.
Many particularly valued the evidence-based approach, with one commenting, “I would recommend this book and resources to all educators that support families that are required to move home often. It helps to develop educators’ understanding and empathy towards the challenges these families face.”
The storybook and modules are available free of charge through our Child and Family Resilience Programs website, supporting service families wherever they may be stationed – even in the most remote postings.
Learn more at EC Defence Programs: Course: Child and Youth Resources, Tile: Q: We're Moving Again: Caleb's and Grandpa's Story
Created in collaboration with the Manna Institute, CFMWS, Charles Sturt University, Small Hands Early Learning, CQ University & Military and Emergency Services Health Australia.
Add new comment