Trauma Informed

Trauma Informed Care

At Avanda Cares, trauma-informed care is not a program—it is the foundation of how we build trust, create safety, and support healing.

We understand that many of the children and youth who enter our care have experienced complex trauma: abuse, neglect, displacement, systemic racism, loss, or instability. These experiences affect not only how they behave, but how they interpret the world, relate to others, and regulate their emotions.

Our role is not to “fix” them—it is to understand them, to provide structure without shame, and to help them build a future rooted in self-worth, identity, and belonging.

What Trauma-Informed Care Means at Avanda Cares

Safety First – Emotional & Physical

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We create predictable routines, calm environments, and spaces where youth feel in control of their surroundings.

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Staff are trained to notice trauma triggers and prevent re-traumatization through consistency, empathy, and regulation tools.

Relationships Over Rules

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Healing happens in relationships. We prioritize trust-building with youth through honest communication, active listening, and consistent support.

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Staff approach behaviors with curiosity, not judgment—asking “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”

Emotion Regulation & Coping Skills

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Youth are supported in understanding their nervous system, learning grounding tools, and building healthy responses to stress and overwhelm.

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We integrate mindfulness, journaling, breathing techniques, body movement, and sensory aids into daily life.

Specialized Training for All Staff & Foster Parents

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All team members are trained in trauma-informed caregiving, de-escalation, emotional first aid, and crisis prevention.

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Foster parents receive tailored modules on attachment trauma, behavior as communication, and parenting youth with complex mental health needs.

Individualized Support Plans

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Each youth has a customized care plan built on their strengths, goals, and history.

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Our multidisciplinary team—including social workers, mental health advisors, and direct care staff—reviews these plans regularly to ensure progress and responsiveness.

Understanding Identity-Based Trauma

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We recognize that trauma is not only personal, but also systemic. Many youth carry the impact of racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of exclusion.

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Our trauma-informed model is intentionally anti-oppressive and culturally affirming, with services adapted for Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, and neurodivergent youth.

Why It Matters

Unresolved trauma can disrupt every area of a young person’s life. At Avanda Cares, we work to break that cycle by helping youth feel safe, seen, and supported—so they can begin to trust themselves, others, and their future.