Hope 4 Hurting Kids - Moving from hurt and trauma to Hope and Healing.
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Explore
    • Emotions
    • Family
    • Trauma
    • Other
  • Help Centers
    • Emotions Help Centers
      • Emotions General
      • Grief
    • Family Issues Help Centers
      • Divorce and Modern Family
      • Domestic Violence
      • Family Issues
      • Foster Families
    • Trauma Help Centers
      • Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Domestic Violence
      • Sexual Abuse and Rape
    • Destructive Behaviors Help Centers
      • Bullying
      • Cutting and Self-Harm
      • Eating Disorders
      • Substance Abuse
      • Suicide
  • Get Help
    • Contact Us / Get Help
    • H4HK FAQs
    • Hotlines
  • More…
    • About Us
    • Surveys
      • Children of Divorced/Separated Parents
Hope 4 Hurting Kids - Moving from hurt and trauma to Hope and Healing.
Home
COVID-19
Explore
    Emotions
    Family
    Trauma
    Other
Help Centers
    Emotions Help Centers
    Emotions General
    Grief
    Family Issues Help Centers
    Divorce and Modern Family
    Domestic Violence
    Family Issues
    Foster Families
    Trauma Help Centers
    Child Abuse & Neglect
    Domestic Violence
    Sexual Abuse and Rape
    Destructive Behaviors Help Centers
    Bullying
    Cutting and Self-Harm
    Eating Disorders
    Substance Abuse
    Suicide
Get Help
    Contact Us / Get Help
    H4HK FAQs
    Hotlines
More...
    About Us
    Surveys
    Children of Divorced/Separated Parents
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Explore
    • Emotions
    • Family
    • Trauma
    • Other
  • Help Centers
    • Emotions Help Centers
      • Emotions General
      • Grief
    • Family Issues Help Centers
      • Divorce and Modern Family
      • Domestic Violence
      • Family Issues
      • Foster Families
    • Trauma Help Centers
      • Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Domestic Violence
      • Sexual Abuse and Rape
    • Destructive Behaviors Help Centers
      • Bullying
      • Cutting and Self-Harm
      • Eating Disorders
      • Substance Abuse
      • Suicide
  • Get Help
    • Contact Us / Get Help
    • H4HK FAQs
    • Hotlines
  • More…
    • About Us
    • Surveys
      • Children of Divorced/Separated Parents
Divorce and Family Disruption

A Divorce Care 4 Kids (DC4K) Story

Divorce Care 4 Kids

The following relates my experience volunteering in my very first 13 week session of Divorce Care 4 Kids (DC4K) back in 2011. Since that time, I have gone on to lead a number of DC4K groups at multiple locations and will lead my next group starting in mid January of next year..  I hope that you will find this telling of my experience both informative and useful.  Ultimately, I hope in some way that it will lead you to getting involved in DC4K ministering to children of divorce or ministering to hurting kids in some other capacity.

One question that I get asked more than any other since I started working with children of divorce is:

What can a church do to minister to children of divorce?

I believe there are number of things that the church must do in order to truly minister to children of divorce. One significant thing a church can do is to start a support group for kids who have been, or are going, through a divorce. The best program that I am aware of for churches is Divorce Care 4 Kids (DC4K).

What is DC4K?

Divorce Care 4 Kids LogoDivorce Care 4 Kids is a 13 week curriculum developed by Church Initiative who also produce Divorce Care, Grief Share, Single & Parenting and Chance to Change. According to the DC4K website,

DC4K is a special group to help your children heal from the pain caused by a separation or divorce. DC4K provides your children with a safe and neutral place to recognize and learn to share their feelings.

For 13 weeks your children become involved in a fun, caring group at a church near you. The weekly session topics help your children learn that God’s love strengthens them and helps them turn their sadness to hope and their anger to joy.

Each session is filled with motivating and exciting activities. Games, crafts, role-playing, discussion times, journaling and activity books help your children process the divorce and move forward in their lives. The music CDs, snacks, read aloud stories, exercises and Bible verses teach your children to relax and rest secure in God’s love. The Kids Like Me and Stories from the Bible video dramas present stories of children just like your children, who are experiencing divorce-related problems and have found help and encouragement.

DC4K is a powerful ministry for kids 5–12 years of age.

What Topics Does DC4K Cover?

During the 13 week course, the DC4K curriculum covers a variety of topics in a setting where your kids can feel safe. The topics covered by week include:

  • What’s Happening to My Family?
  • God Loves Children in All Kinds of Families
  • Facing My Anger
  • Journey from Anger to Sadness
  • I Am Not Alone
  • God’s Plan for Me
  • Developing New Relationships
  • Developing Money Smarts
  • It’s Not My Fault
  • Telling My Parents How I Feel
  • Forgiveness
  • Loving My Parents
  • Moving On: Growing UP and Closer to God

What Does A Child Experience at a DC4K Session?

Although you can customize what you do for any given week, a common session might include:

  • A video presenting circumstances that a child of divorce can relate to.
  • A video presenting a relevant Bible story.
  • Journaling and drawing pictures in a child’s Activity Book.
  • Arts and crafts projects which allow children to express themselves.
  • Singing and listening to music.
  • Playing games.
  • Connecting with leaders and other children of divorce.
  • Stretching and exercising to help reduce stress levels.
  • Reading scripture.
  • Eating together.

How Do I Find a DC4K Group in My Area?

Go to http://www.dc4k.org/findagroup and enter your zip code, or search internationally, to find a group in your area.

An Introduction to My First DC4K Experience

When I originally envisioned this article, I didn’t expect it to be as long as it eventually turned out to be. I thought I might hit on some the highlights and some of the things I learned from my time and be done. In the end, I decided that perhaps the best thing I could do was to give you a glimpse into our class itself so that you can see how a class like DC4K can impact the adults who run it and, more importantly, the kids who attend. Continue reading

December 12, 2016by Wayne Stocks
H4HK Help Centers

Emotions Cards

Jump In! Stand Strong! Rise Up! (Emotions Management)

Jump In! Stand Strong! Rise Up! Super Simple Feelings Management Technique Grand Feelings Exit Plan
My Feelings Workbook

H4HK Featured Resources

Parents' Divorce My Fault

H4HK FAQs: Was My Parents’ Divorce My Fault?

Fishing for Feelings

Fishing for Feelings

Categories

“Helping young people on the journey from hurt and trauma to hope and healing.”

To contact us for any reason, please use our Get Help page. We promise to get back to you as soon as we can.
© 2018 Hope 4 Hurting Kids