The Children’s Program at Women In Distress provides a variety of services to children ages 4-17 such as respite care, parenting classes, children’s groups and individual counseling. These services are provided at the Jim & Jan Moran Family Center and in shelter.

While participants receive services, their children are entertained in a safe, child-friendly environment which Women In Distress refers to as Respite. Respite staff provide a schedule of activities for the children such as arts & crafts, puppet shows, movies, and other related activities. Our staff engages about 300 children each month in activities that foster social skills and self-expression.

Women In Distress also provides counseling to children in shelter and those who come to the Family Center. We offer children’s groups, individual counseling, and parenting classes. Rapport building, anger management, play sessions, and counseling games are some of the tools Women In Distress uses to help children who have experienced domestic violence.

Last year, over 1,000 children received such services, helping them explore their feelings and begin to heal.

Quality Service

Our staff is constantly improving counseling techniques and sharing information with one another to reach new levels of excellence. Consistent training opportunities are provided to the Children's Department staff especially, in order to keep up with the latest advances in children's therapy. Begining in July 2007, the Children’s Department staff was introduced to utilizing sand trays and miniatures to explore children's emotional worlds. These new techniques were extremely well-received at Women In Distress and are continuing to be utilized today.

For more information, please contact Children's Department Manager, Lammy Askar.