When Maggie Smith* became the primary carer for two of her granddaughters, she thought raising them would come naturally, but little did she know the difficulties she would face.
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The Department of Family and Community Services removed Ms Smith's granddaughters, Sarah*, 9, and Olivia*, 6, from the care of their mother and stepfather in early 2016 amid reports of neglect, homelessness, parental drug abuse and exposure to domestic violence.
"I've gone from being a grandmother where I let the kids get away with everything when they came to visit to being an authority figure where I've had to put rules in place – It's been a real adjustment for me and the girls," Ms Smith said.
"It's been 15 to 20 years since my children where that little, so it was hard trying to get back into the swing of doing parenting correctly."
Olivia also displayed problematic behaviours, including defiance and aggression, and was physically abusive towards her older sister.
"She was constantly hitting and swearing at people and even punching," Ms Smith said.
"I was getting tired of being bruised – the slightest thing like brushing her hair was hard, she'd literally swing around and hit you. She wasn't coping well with being separated from her other siblings."
Ms Smith said she was at her "wits end and was willing to try anything"
when the family were referred to Department of Family and Community Services psychologist Jessica Warren, who is one of two psychologists trained to run a new program aimed at treating young children with emotional and behavioural disorders and helping their carers.
Through the Parent Child Interaction Therapy program, carers learn how to use traditional play therapy techniques with their charges. Therapists watch a carer's interactions with the child from an observation room, using a one-way mirror, and give the carer feedback in real time, using an earpiece.
Carers also learn predictable, consistent discipline strategies that reduce negative behaviours and increase child co-operation.
"A primary need for kids is access to a safe and predicable caregiver – they need that person to help them recover," Ms Warren said. "This therapy works to almost give kids that. We're upskilling parents or carers to help them be more sensitive and responsive to their child and we're coaching them [in] those skills in the moment."
The program is not only designed to help the vulnerable children who have been removed from negative environments, but for carers and parents struggling to cope.
"[The program is] fundamentally based around play, and we know how important play is for children. It's really essential to childhood, it makes childhood fun and that's really important," Ms Warren said.
"Play is also a context in which children need to develop their social, emotional, intellectual, physical milestones, so by having [the carer and child] play together, kids are learning these skills in that moment, whether it be sharing, turn-taking and learning how to use manners.
"Because we're directly working with parents, we can help them manage some of their own emotions and help them cope with stress."
Ms Smith said that since the program, she had noticed a change to Olivia's behaviours and she had learnt more about her granddaughter.
"It was during the program that I began noticing changes – we found out the more you praised her the more she was willing to bend over backwards for you," she said.
"Don't get me wrong – we still have our days – but that's just normal child behaviours I suppose."
Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward said the NSW government was embarking on reforms to deliver better opportunities for the most vulnerable and break the cycle of disadvantage.
"In order to achieve the best possible outcomes, we need to be intervening early and supporting families to stay together where they can," she said.
"The government will continue to work on increasing early intervention services to provide more children and young people with a stable home for life."
Ms Smith said the program had significantly improved the relationship between herself and her grandchildren as well as their relationship with each other.
"It's been a lifesaver for me, a lot of it was pick me up stuff, but it's made me appreciate my grandkids more – it's awesome."
*Names have been changed
