Grounded in the principles of TBRI®, our approach helps children, carers, individuals and families build trust, strengthen relationships and heal from adversity.
Creating trust, connection and healing for every person, in every program.
At Cafs, we support people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. That’s why we’ve built our practice around a trauma-responsive approach – one that focuses on trust, understanding and connection.
Our model is based on the internationally recognised framework of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®), a trauma-informed approach grounded in compassion, attachment theory and the healing power of safe, supportive relationships.
About TBRI®
Trust-Based Relational Intervention®
It is a holistic, evidence-based model developed by the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development. It's designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children and adults, especially those who have experienced abuse, neglect, loss or other trauma.
TBRI® is built around three core sets of principles:
Empowering Principles – meeting physical needs and creating structure.
Connecting Principles – building attachment through trust and nurture.
Correcting Principles – teaching and supporting appropriate behaviours.
At Cafs, we’ve adopted these principles into our everyday practice; not just in theory, but in how we work, how we train and how we care.
Supporting children through a trauma responsive approach is not just about addressing immediate challenges; it’s about shaping who they become.
Why our Trauma Responsive Approach matters
Behind every behaviour is a story. We take the time to understand it.
Trauma can affect anyone: children, young people and adults. It can influence how we think, feel and behave. It can also make it challenging to focus, learn, manage emotions, feel safe and trust others. Without the right support, it can affect mental health, physical health, relationships and overall wellbeing.
At Cafs, we respond to trauma with insight, curiosity and empathy without judgement. This means:
Prioritising trusting and respectful relationships
Understanding behaviours through the lens of unmet needs
Seeking to understand the needs of our clients to support growth and wellbeing
TBRI® gives us the tools to do that. It’s not just a program; it’s a whole philosophy.
When we meet children with empathy, safety and understanding, we help them build trust in others and belief in themselves. This foundation allows them to grow into emotionally resilient, compassionate and confident individuals who can form healthy relationships, navigate adversity and thrive in their communities.
By recognising the impact of trauma and responding with care, we’re not just helping children heal. We’re helping them become the kind of adults who break cycles, lead with empathy, and contribute positively to the world around them.
Our trauma approach shapes every service, empowering carers with knowledge, confidence and compassion.
Our trauma-responsive approach is embedded across all of Cafs’ services – from family support to financial counselling, housing, youth care and beyond, including our work in Foster and Kinship Care.
Every Cafs carer in Victoria is trained in the principles of TBRI®, giving them the confidence and insight to understand the children in their care, respond to challenging behaviours and build strong, nurturing relationships.
This training supports our carers to:
Gain insight into the impacts of trauma and understand the needs behind certain behaviours
Build trust and deepen relationships with children and young people
Help children and young people regulate their emotions and behaviours
Feel more confident and prepared to respond to challenging behaviours in ways that promote trust and change
It’s working and the data shows it
90%
built stronger connections with children
85%
experienced personal growth
100%
of Cafs carers in Victoria receive TBRI resources
A mutually supportive experience
Cafs foster and kinship carers in Victoria grow alongside the children they care for through trauma-responsive support.
Foster Carers
Becoming a foster carer in Victoria with Cafs means stepping into a role where you are supported every step of the way. Our trauma-responsive approach, grounded in TBRI®, equips our Cafs foster carers in Victoria with the skills and confidence to understand complex behaviours and build strong, healing relationships.
This training transforms fostering from an act of giving into a collaborative journey of mutual growth, strength and connection.
Kinship Carers
For kinship carers, who are often family or close friends stepping in to care for a child, the experience can be both rewarding and challenging. Our trauma-responsive framework recognises these unique dynamics, providing kinship carers with tailored support to help them nurture trust, manage behaviours and create a stable, safe home environment.
The journey becomes one of mutual healing, supporting the child while also caring for themselves.
Hear from Cafs carers in Victoria who’ve experienced the lasting impact of a trauma-responsive approach on children and themselves.
“I would strongly recommend this training to other carers and parents as I think it is essential to our success as carers.”
Cafs carer
Why our approach is different
Not every vulnerable child needs the same response. That’s why we focus on understanding what’s behind the behaviour.
At Cafs, we don’t just manage behaviour, we seek to understand it. Our trauma-responsive approach, grounded in the principles of TBRI®, helps us recognise that every child’s actions are shaped by their experiences. Instead of reacting with punishment or control, we respond with empathy, connection and structure.
This creates a safe environment where trust can grow, healing can begin, and both children and carers can thrive. It’s a relationship-first way of working that’s tailored, respectful and deeply effective.
Let’s build a better future, together.
Ready to Make a Difference With Us?
Whether you’re reaching out for support, seeking more information or looking to give back, partner, join or volunteer, we’d love to hear from you.
At Cafs, we believe every child deserves a safe, nurturing home – somewhere they feel seen, heard and valued. Foster care provides that sanctuary, offering children and young people stability when their own home is no longer safe.
Discover how to become a Victorian Central Highlands foster carer with Cafs. Learn about the process, types of care, support and training available. Make a lasting difference in a child’s life today.
