These children and young people come from backgrounds of significant complex trauma, and the aim of the Secure base is to develop the capacity to be in relationship with trusting adults, from which they can then continue to grow and thrive. The children and young people who come into Lighthouse’s Secure Base program require more intensive support than Foster Care or Family Support can currently offer, due to the nature of the trauma they have experienced in their short lives.

This trauma has profound negative impacts on their psychosocial, cognitive and physiological development and mental health. In a Lighthouse Secure Base home, children and young people live alongside Therapeutic Carers, receiving 24/7 dedicated care. This tailored support, provided by an experienced team, support to stabilize the young person before then supporting the child or young person to return to family or enter foster care. This helps ensure that these children and young people have a safe place to go, who would otherwise have limited out-of-home-care options. By providing intensive support through early intervention, Lighthouse helps to prevent homelessness and future trauma, later in the lives of these children and young people.