One hour a week is all it takes to change a life. Our Stable Moments program matches up one child, with one horse, and one mentor, for one hour per week for 10 months, or a typical school year. Many people look at the Stable Moments model and think that it must be the amazingly therapeutic nature of a horse that brings stability to the fostered children in the program. While the nature of a horse is therapeutic in itself - the real science is behind the mentor relationship. 

 

Research shows that the most important thing to help children through adverse childhood events is one stable relationship with a healthy adult. And, as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a leading expert in the field of trauma and resilience suggests, "children who experience consistent and caring relationships with adults are more likely to have positive developmental outcomes and to develop resilience in the face of adversity" (Van der Kolk, 2014, p. 213).

 

Many children who have survived trauma, carry core feelings of worthlessness. Why would anyone make "good" choices if they didn't believe they mattered? Mentorship is one important way we show young people that they do matter. At The Tinnis Trust,  we keep the "I Matter Factor" at the core of everything we do. This is a theory that children shouldn't be asked to learn or develop life skills until we have shown them they matter. A mentor who can take one hour a week out of their busy schedule to show up, be engaged and provide a stable moment for a child in an unsettled world promotes a feeling of "I Matter!" Keeping sessions the same time each week, makes them something a child can rely on and look forward. 

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For children are used to constant change and interactions with a community that often doesn't understand them, mentors providing some stability and a positive role model. Our trauma-informed approach creates the perfect environment for these children to develop the life skills necessary to make healthy transitions into adulthood.