4 year old Sarah* was often left all day sitting in her tiny flat, watching telly. She never went to the park or played with other children her age, which meant she wasn’t developing her social skills.

Little Sarah was referred to Barnardos because her mam, Jennifer, had been struggling with her mental health for a long time. This was clearly having an impact on Sarah’s development.

Jennifer was weighed down with that worry, and wanted to be there for Sarah so badly, but her mental health struggles sometimes made it difficult to get out of bed.

When Barnardos project worker Lisa first met Sarah, she struggled to communicate her feelings. She had a hard time sharing with other children in the Early Years Service, and didn’t know how to ask for what she wanted. Instead, she would just grab and scream.

Lisa worked with Sarah on communicating her feelings and learning to regulate her emotions in an age-appropriate way, through sensory activities like painting. Lisa also helped Jennifer by guiding her on how to make their home a happy and healthy environment for Sarah to thrive. Jennifer has become really engaged in Sarah’s development and making sure that she can experience life and growing up the way she deserves.

Sarah and Jennifer are making so much progress, but they still have a lot of work to do. They will always live with and be affected by their experiences but thanks to Barnardos, they are readier than ever to face what comes their way.