The giggles of children fill the shelter every day and remind us how blessed we are to have this great facility for our families in need!
Despite The Nest being a very safe place for children, leaving their home behind and living in a shelter can be traumatic. Family outings are held regularly to encourage positive interactions between adults and their children. The environment of the shelter is designed to foster a sense of belonging. It offers a supportive community that assists survivors in understanding the impact of trauma on their lives and to build resiliency in themselves and in their children.
The Nest’s Children’s Program has a full time Children’s Advocate and provides support groups in which parents are educated on the effects of domestic violence on themselves and their children and are taught new skills to help kids cope with the trauma. This family centered programming covers other positive parenting tools and topics such as:
- Restoring parent/child relationships after violence
- Learning self-soothing and grounding techniques
- Understanding what is safe and what is not and why
- Practicing safe behaviors
- Health and nutrition
- Predictability and structure