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You
are here: Pioneering Child Care Program Proves Its Worth
by Laura Sheehan
Founded in 1909, Childhaven is a private, nonprofit social service agency that has been caring for young children in Seattle continuously for over 90 years. In the mid-seventies, the agency recognized a grave need: a lack of services for very young victims of abuse and neglect. In 1977, the agency initiated the nation's first therapeutically-based child care program for these vulnerable children. Based on the research that brain development is at its most critical between birth and five years of age, the agency's services have met with resounding successes. The program began two years before the state of Washington mandated the reporting of abuse. The model program has since been duplicated in nearly 40 other agencies throughout Washington State and many more in other parts of the nation and Canada.
MISSION
The mission of the agency today remains unchanged: to stop the cycle of child abuse and neglect through intervention and treatment of children from one month through five years of age. With four branches currently operating in King County, Washington, Childhaven each year provides full day therapeutic childcare and a nurturing environment to more than 500 children from one month through five years of age. These children have unique and special needs as a direct result of the abuse and neglect they have endured in their young lives.
WHO ARE THE CHILDREN SERVED?
The children have been traumatized by exposure to a multitude of harmful environments including, but not limited to, violence, drugs, alcohol, and a lack of physical/emotional care by adults who are unable to provide for them. These early life events thwart a child's growth and development by impacting language, motor, cognitive, social-emotional-psychological skill development. Although Childhaven focuses on children, parents are asked, or mandated by the court, to participate in specially designed parent education and training classes Childhaven's unique approach to early intervention brings together a highly-trained staff of therapeutic child care workers, early childhood educators, social workers, occupational and speech therapists, and special educators to serve the children who come daily to the four treatment centers. The children are diverse and come overwhelmingly from socio-economically depressed environments.
THERAPEUTIC CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Therapeutic Child Development, Childhaven's primary approach to abused and neglected infants and children is based on medical and social research which proves that early intervention is critical. While the needs of these children are great, so is the potential for success. A low teacher/child ratio is necessary to overcome the damage these children have experienced.Childhaven's teacher/child ratio is: one teacher per every three children from one month through 23 months, and one teacher for every five children from ages 24 through five years. The results of Childhaven's work can mean the difference between a healthy, functioning child and on who is socially lost and/or incarcerated in the penal system
CRISIS SERVICES.
Responding to urgent demand, Childhaven developed two special programs. In 1989, it started the first, and remains the only, 24-hour Crisis Nursery in King County, to give children a safe haven. When dealing with emergency needs such as illness, domestic violence, lack of shelter, employment or food, parents turn to the Crisis Nursery for childcare assistance. In 1990, the agency developed the first program in Washington State to offer Therapeutic Child Development services for drug-affected infants and children.
CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH
The program continues to show proven results. Childhaven has been a leader in conducting research that confirms that early intervention, while saving individual children, produces public fund cost savings and other societal benefits, in addition to giving a new life to the child. In 1980, and for the following two years, Childhaven conducted a randomized research effort which assigned, on a chance basis, referrals from Child Protective Services to either treatment at Childhaven or to the regular resources already existing in the community; e.g. regular child care, parenting classes, anger management, etc.
The immediate findings of the research were that parents from the Childhaven program, when compared to the parents in the non-Childhaven group, were more positive, less abusive and treated their children much better. Additionally, children who received treatment from Childhaven changed dramatically during their 16-24 months of treatment. The withdrawn became outgoing; the agitated became calmer; and the angry became for peaceful. Twelve years later, the researchers revisited these same children, now teenagers.The findings were dramatic:
Only 3.7% of Childhaven children had been arrested or were identified by caregivers as violent as compared to 47.6% of the control group.
3.75 of Childhaven children had been arrested for serious or violent crimes as compared to 23.8% of the control group.
29.4% of Childhaven children showed prevalence of disciplinary referrals as compared to 54.5% of the control group.
25% of Childhaven children suffered from substance abuse as compared to 61.5% of the control group.
Additionally, examination of their financial welfare records found they used 50% less dollars than the comparison group in medical coupons and food stamps.
THE PROBLEM
Beaten, violated or ignored by those they trust most, children of abuse and neglect suffer immense emotional and physical pain. In the United States, each year more than 250,000 young children are so seriously abused that child protective agencies have to intervene. However, these statistics represent only those cases are reported.
Without treatment, many childhood victims of abuse grow up to be violent offenders themselves, destined to prey on the very society that turned its back when they most needed help. In fact, over 80% of all prison inmates in the State of Washington today were abused as children.
THE CONCLUSION
An inescapable fact is that when young children are abused or neglected, they and their families need help, and they need it as early as possible in order for help to make a lasting difference. Childhaven's Therapeutic Child Development Program has fostered processes that strengthen families and set the stage for enhanced child and family development. The benefits of such an intervention may be seen not only in reducing the cost of such high-risk families to taxpayers, but also in reducing delinquent, aggressive, violent, and self-destructive behaviorcosts to society than can be measured in dollars.
In a recent article, King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng stated, "It should be no surprise that children learn what they are taught, the good and the bad. While we might never eliminate the tragedy of child abuse in our society, we do have the benefit of new research showing that the negative effects of abused and neglect can be reversed by early intervention. In Seattle, we are blessed locally to have Childhaven working with children from troubled homes, working to reverse the effects of abuse and neglect."
and Childhaven:Childhaven's stability is due to the direct financial support of regular donors. It is also due to the other contributions our supporters make in the form of volunteer help in the nurseries, grounds and playgrounds, transportation, assisting teachers, innovative thinking, and creative networking. If you wish to offer volunteer help please call Erin Okund, Volunteer Coordinator at 206-624-6477. Contributions may be sent directly to the agency.
Laura Sheehan is Executive Director of Childhaven and has previously held positions as director, staff psychologist, therapist and instructor for many programs throughout the United States. She has an extensive clinical and management background in the field of mental health and child development, with a focus on child maltreatment, prevention, and intervention, and childhood emotional and behavioral disorders. 316 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122. Phone 206-624-6477. website at www.childhaven.org.
Copyright © January 2001 New Horizons for Learning, all rights reserved.
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