What's happening to my body?

Don’t assume young people know all about the changes to their bodies during puberty. A lot of young people in out of home care have had disruptive childhoods and potentially have missed out on this education from school or their family.

Again, start early, talk often

• Find out about their level of knowledge
• Use things that happen on the TV or in other conversations that come up naturally are a good way to raise this issues and get an idea about their knowledge
• If they aren’t really aware of things they should be developmentally, discuss it further with the young person

Sometimes though, you may have to be proactive to make sure this doesn’t get missed. Raising these topics early will help prepare for body changes and feelings.

Consider that these conversations may happen earlier with young people in care than other young people, as they may often go through puberty changes or be exposed to sexual themes at an earlier age.