Trauma-informed care at the heart of Connie Benn ELC’s VEYA winners success

As one of the winners in the Department of Education’s 2025 Victorian Early Years Awards (VEYA), Connie Benn Early Learning Centre (Connie Benn ELC) has been recognised for its trauma-informed approach to early education and its steadfast commitment to supporting families facing complex challenges. Rachel Dike, the Fitzroy Precinct Early Years Coordinator and Olivia Moloney Brown, Fitzroy Precinct Early Years Educational Leader sat down with The Sector to share how their whole-of-family model, grounded in educator reflection, strong community partnerships and inclusive, therapeutic practice is making a powerful difference in the lives of children and families in Melbourne’s inner north.

Fiona: Congratulations on being named a VEYA winner. What does this recognition mean for your team and community?

Rachel and Olivia: Thank you, we were honoured to be nominated and recognised as a finalist and excited tone announced as winners for the commitment and the hard work our team does for our community on a daily basis. Being recognised by the early childhood sector shows that the hard work we have put in over the last few years is being acknowledged not just as educators, but as early childhood professionals who specialise in trauma-informed practice and supporting vulnerable communities in a unique way. 

Fiona: Your centre works closely with families facing complex challenges. How do you ensure your environment remains a safe and nurturing space for children and families alike?

Rachel and Olivia:We work extremely hard to ensure families feel supported from the moment they enter the service, providing a wealth of resources to assist families from NDIS applications to supporting allied health sessions. Our own Family Support Worker, hired through our School Readiness Funding [through the Department of Education], serves as a connection to other organisations and resources such as crisis and financial support, Services Australia assistance and family violence support. This proves beneficial to families facing hardship, where they can receive support on different issues in one safe and accessible place. 

We work closely with Maternal and Child Health services (MCH) to support children and families’  journeys and access to education and care.We offer occasional care to families engaged in Adult Migrant English Program, as well as to families engaged with MCH as a stepping stone into our other service programs such as long day care and kindergarten.

We pride ourselves on building relationships with our children and families, to establish trust and connection, enabling nurturing, non-judgmental, empathy led interactions. We use a trauma-informed approach not just to children, but to the whole family. We collaborate with whole care teams, to ensure confidential information sharing between services, creating a community of practice around the child; including social workers, allied health workers, MCH, case workers and local schools for enhanced transitions to schools.

Fiona: Can you tell us more about your use of trauma-informed practice and how this influences your daily approach to education and care?

Rachel and Olivia: We have made trauma-informed practice a champion of how we deliver high quality programs for our community. Low, ambient lighting, soft quiet spaces, sensory resources in all spaces and informed conversations regarding consent, and feelings. Creating a safe and predictable environment where there is consistency and clear routines to help children feel secure and reduce anxiety. We take time to listen, validate children’s feelings, and show empathy to help children feel understood and valued. We identify individual children’s trauma signals so we can be aware of potential upcoming responses to trauma. 

By embedding trauma-informed practice at Connie Benn ELC, we help children develop resilience, feel safe, and engage more fully in learning and social interactions. By fostering an environment that prioritises trauma-informed approaches, we feel we can better equip our educators with the tools and understanding that is necessary to create safe and nurturing spaces for the unique community we serve, leading to more positive outcomes for educators, children and families. 

Fiona: The sensory-rich wellbeing room is a standout feature. What inspired its development, and how has it impacted children’s emotional regulation and wellbeing?

We identified a significant number of children attending our service who had experienced trauma and faced challenges with self-regulation, connection, and engagement. It became clear that, before meaningful learning and development could occur, children first needed to feel safe, secure, and supported.

We recognised that children cannot thrive when their trauma responses are activated. In response, we utilised our School Readiness Funding to source an occupational therapist to work with our Kindergarten team to design and implement an inclusive, purposeful, and supportive space tailored to the needs of these children.

This space allows children the time, space and safe environment to self- or co-regulate, engage in small group interactions and intentional teaching and participate in targeted allied health sessions such as play therapy and speech therapy. We also engage in specialised programs such as yoga, emotional wellbeing sessions with Long Day Care groups. It is equipped with carefully selected resources, including Possum Play Mats, hammocks, weighted blankets, soft toys, fidget and fine motor tools, rocking chairs, and musical instruments like guitars and large drums, designed to support sensory needs and foster a sense of calm and connection.

Fiona: Coaching appears to be an integral part of your professional culture. How do you embed coaching into everyday practice, and what benefits have you seen for educators and children?

Rachel and Olivia: We work with psychotherapist Laura Petrie, engaging in reflective group practice and individual supervision. Implementing trauma-informed reflective practice is essential for empowering staff to effectively support children and families in developing their social and emotional skills. We have found that this practice enhances the educational outcomes of children by enabling educators to recognize and respond to the unique needs of those who have experienced trauma. Additionally, fostering a trauma-informed culture contributes to staff retention by creating a supportive workplace environment characterised by shared understanding and collective resilience and coaching. Regular engagement in reflective sessions is crucial not only for personal and professional growth but also for mitigating the adverse effects of vicarious trauma, which can occur when staff members are repeatedly exposed to the traumatic experiences of those they support.

Fiona: What advice would you offer to other services looking to strengthen their focus on wellbeing, inclusion and whole-of-family support?

Rachel and Olivia: Prioritise your team’s wellbeing and workplace culture as a foundation for strengthening internal practices.
Investing in clinical supervision not only supports the wellbeing of your teaching team but also deepens their understanding of how trauma impacts the children in their care. 

Take time to understand your community, including the barriers to inclusion they may face. Familiarise yourself with available referral pathways to provide holistic support for children and their families. Engage with the broad range of local council resources, including social workers, Preschool Field Officers, and Access to Early Learning and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Officers supporting communities. Deepen your knowledge of early intervention supports available to families and incorporate these into your service’s approach to inclusive education.

Connie Benn Early Learning Centre’s story is a compelling reminder of what’s possible when early learning services are resourced, trusted and supported to lead with compassion, community connection and trauma-informed expertise. Their work exemplifies the spirit of the Victorian Early Years Awards celebrating innovation, inclusion and the vital role early years professionals play in improving outcomes for Victorian children and their families.

To explore the full list of 2025 VEYA winners, visit the Winners of the 2025 Victorian Early Years Awards.