Scrapbooking is an activity that many children have become aware of in a positive light and often times see parents, aunts, uncles and friends enjoying.   Scrapbooking can be used as a functional tool for children who have been traumatized, often times by the court ordered removal from their parents’ home following substantiated abuse and/or neglect.

Therapeutic scrapbooking can be  structured yet experiential.  Caseworkers and clinicians can use family photos, therapeutic homework assignments and children’s drawings to gain insight into the child’s thought process and past history.  Children often enjoy hands on activities and become more verbal and less guarded in the information they share while engaging in “hands on” activities.  The art of using scrap booking as an intervention is making sure you plan ahead and offer the child materials and photos that allow them to express what you may already suspect.

Scrapbooking does not have to include only information that is relevant to clinical interventions.   Scrapbooking for children who are removed from their parents care allows the child to retain a permanent record of their experiences.   Children feel as though they remain connected to their birth family through recalling and producing creative stories through pictures.  This process allows the fostering family to better understand the child they are caring for and the people who are important to them.  The child can also chose to add pages to their scrapbook depicting special events and times they experienced in the foster home.   Most importantly, for children returning home scrapbooking allows the child and family to celebrate their accomplishments.

Children who experience separation form their family and placement into the foster care system often return to the care of their biological family.  Scrapbooking as a therapeutic intervention can allow the child to begin to say good-bye to their foster family through a creative means.  Children who experience traumatic events often times repress memories as a defense mechanism.   The scrapbook will provide the child with a accurate memory of their experience.

If you choose to try this technique with a child remember:

1. The techniques need to be tailored for the child’s developmental stage and needs.
2. The scrap booking process should be monitored by a case manager or therapist.
3. Time must be allotted to process any issues that arise from this activity.