Inside Out 4 Kids

How can you help?

With many schools and families lacking the financial capacity or resources to access trauma, grief and loss support, City Mission offers IO4K as a free program, building the emotional well-being of kids.

To provide this free program, we rely heavily on the financial support of individuals and the local business community.

For each child participating in the IO4K program, the cost is $500. This includes delivery of an eight week program by a trained program facilitator, along with course materials.

For more information about Inside Out 4 Kids, please contact us.

Program Outcomes

 Here's what our program and team achieved in the 2022/23 financial year.

Their stories

Peta

Peta was referred to the Inside Out 4 Kids Change, Grief and Loss Support program when her parents separated. She was sitting with her facilitator arranging emoji cards into categories. She picked up a few of the cards in her hand and paused for a minute before saying, “I think a lot of people think that I am sad about my parents breaking up. This is hard to say and I’m not sure people would understand. I am sad, but I feel kind of bad because I am actually really relieved.”

The facilitator helped Peta sort through the emoji cards to find a relieved face and explained that it was perfectly normal to have mixed emotions during big life changes. Peta continued, “I knew something wasn’t right. The house was too quiet and I just wanted it all to be out in the open.”

Peta’s facilitator helped her draw a picture of before and after her family separation and identify where things had changed and what things were going to take some time to feel ‘normal’ but that they still cared for her all the same.

Peta left her session feeling lighter in her body after being able to express her emotions in a safe place and more open to accepting her new situation.

Jake

Jake was sitting in a session of the Inside Out 4 Kids Change, Grief and Loss support program playing a game with a giant, inflatable dice. When he rolled the dice across the room it landed on a two. Each number corresponded with a question to answer. Jake chose to pass and roll the dice again and again. Each time he would roll a two. He thought for a moment and said,

“I think the dice wanted me to roll a two so I would answer this question. I wish… my baby brother had been born alive.”

As he picked up the dice and walked back to the table another member of the group said, “Oh did he die? That happened to my Mum before I was born.” He put his hand on Jake’s shoulder, “that sounds really hard.” It was an exchange that lasted less than a minute but the facilitator knew something really special had happened in the group that session. The children had left knowing that they were not the only ones going through sad times.

Principal’s Story

“I can’t say how much Exeter Primary appreciate the work of the IO4K staff and what they have done for our students".

"Your expertise, caring nature and ‘going above and beyond’ is amazing. You provide a safe place and time for students to understand how they are feeling and what they can do, which fits so well will our philosophy of empowering students to manage their behaviour and themselves.

Our students love participating in this program and talk extremely positively about you all".