A play therapy programme is set to be extended to eleven schools in Ballymun in north Dublin to help children deal with the trauma associated with the housing crisis.
Chair of the Ballymun Network of School Principals and Principal of Our Lady of Victories Boys' National School in Ballymun Róisín Hickey said play therapy is a very successful way of helping children deal with trauma in their lives.
She described play therapy as a "universal approach" to children who are encountering a difficulty navigating emotions.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme she explained that children who are struggling at school and need assistance are identified, communication is made with the child's parents, and then a play therapist would be brought into the scenario.
Ms Hickey said, "The play therapist would predominantly work with the child but begins the journey with the parent. We figure out together how it is manifesting. The parent will talk with the play therapist and you start to notice behaviours."
She said the child then spends time with the play therapist and works through their emotions.
She described homelessness for children as a "huge trauma".
"We in Ballymun are very aware of trauma. There are so many adverse childhood experiences for children and homelessness is one of the major ones that we are encountering here all the time."
Earlier the Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said there is a major issue with homelessness and it is his number one priority to get people out of homelessness and into permanent, safe and secure housing.
Ms Hickey said they have noticed a lot of hypo-arousal where children can be emotionally numb or there is a sense of emptiness, "almost like a paralysis and you see the children hunched over, slow movements, eyes cast downwards and they are really struggling".
She said children are often carrying a very heavy burden of worry and tiredness from homelessness or also may be concerned about their parents and siblings.
She said often a child's primary care needs are impacted as a result of homelessness.
"Just in really functional and logistical ways, getting to school can take two or three bus rides, depending on where they are.
"So, there might be really early breakfasts and that is something that we would end up doing here, having breakfast groups and that kind of thing."
Ms Hickey said the Ballymun Network of School Principals sent a survey in October 2019 to the eleven primary schools in Ballymun.
"The principals in the network came back with 250 children being either directly or indirectly affected by homelessness."
A total of 300 children have been identified as needing play therapy, she said.
She explained that there is a "huge amount" of hidden homelessness in the local community in Ballymun where there are several generations of the same family living in the one home which she described as "really challenging for children".
She said that the results of the pilot project have shown a marked improvement in children.
She said children who might have been sleeping in the same bed as their parents due to worry are now independently sleeping.
In some cases, children are sleeping with the door closed and the light off. She said in other cases, they are also seeing positive changes in children who need access to SNA care due to behavioural challenges.
