Caring for Kids from Hard Places: How to Help Children and Teens with a Traumatic Past

Why doesn’t he act his age? Why does she behave so impulsively? Why does he have meltdowns so often?
There is always meaning behind behavior in all of us. It might be a behavioral reaction from something as simple as hunger or exhaustion. Or something far more serious – a triggered reaction to a traumatic, frightening experience.

Children who have experienced early childhood neglect or trauma are often greatly impacted in developmental ways. Children in foster care or who are given up for adoption often deal with these kinds of negative early experiences and it can be difficult to know how to help. People who teach–either in school or children’s ministry often see these youngsters’ behavior as confusing and don’t understand why.

In Caring for Kids from Hard Places, Jayne and David Schooler discuss the reasons behind why children and teens sometimes exhibit potentially disruptive behavior. Together, they offer practical strategies on training, equipping and resourcing staff and volunteers to provide a responsive environment for children with behavioral challenges. Caring for Kids from Hard Places includes:

• Insights on how to understand adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
• Principles for creating a trauma-informed environment
• Strategies for facilitating healing
• Tips on how to create a sensory-smart classroom

Discover how to better love children from difficult backgrounds and pave their way for a better life.

Jayne E. Schooler is the author or coauthor of eight books in the field of child welfare, including Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster Families and Parenting in Transracial Adoption: Real Questions and Real Answers.David L. Schooler served as a pastor and counselor for over 40 years. Until his passing in January of 2024, much of his work focused on ministering to adults who have been impacted by early childhood trauma.

David and Jayne served full-time with Back2Back Ministries and regularly visited countries around the world to train and support organizations and ministries in creating trauma-informed programs. Jayne lives in Dayton, Ohio, and she and David are parents by both birth and adoption as well as grandparents of four.

David L. Schooler has served as a pastor and counselor for over 40 years. Much of his current work is focused on ministering to adults who have been impacted by early childhood trauma.