CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
The Children’s Program at Haven House is dedicated to providing services to young children. Our objective is to create a safe and healthy environment where children can feel comfortable expressing themselves. The activities that are provided during a family’s stay are very important and take place on a weekly and monthly basis.
Alcohol Education
The children attend scheduled activities such as twice a month; they discuss the effects of alcohol, drugs and addiction and the impact substance abuse has on individuals and Families.
Parent Education
Haven House provides monthly classes to support and educate mothers on appropriate parenting techniques and to discuss the effects of domestic violence on children.
A Window Between Worlds Workshops
A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using art to help end domestic violence. Through creative expression, battered women and children gain a sense of renewal and power. Their images of hope, survival and strength educate the public and become “a window between worlds” for survivors taking steps to change their lives. These workshops are led weekly with the children using art as a healing tool. The art is a great way for the children to communicate their feelings and their experiences with domestic violence. http://www.awbw.org
School on Wheels
Children’s program also provides support services in areas of education (enrolling children in local schools during their 45 day stay and working with School on Wheels. School on Wheels provides one-on-one tutoring for homeless children who live in shelters, motels, group foster homes and on the streets. In addition to weekly tutoring and mentoring, every student receives a backpack, school supplies, and uniforms; students get assistance enrolling in school and with locating and filing school records; and each student receive a toll-free phone number for around-the-clock School on Wheels’ support. http://www.schoolonwheels.org
Young & Healthy
Children’s Program assists families with appropriate health care needs through community resources and advocacy. Young & Healthy is a health care program that provides free medical, dental, psychological and case-management services to low-income, uninsured children.
Recreational Activities
It is very important to the agency that children be able to experience childhood in a positive way and participate in activities both enriching and empowering. Activities that offer inspiring special recreational activities for children to participate in while in program are annual traditions that the children at Haven House enjoy very much. These events include:
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Educational Outreach
This is a non-profit public aquarium which engages all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. This aquarium actually comes to Haven House for a day to talk about marine life and brings really cool specimens and a “Live” touch tank for the children. http://www.cabrilloaq.org
Rowdy Ridge Summer Camp
A place where mothers and their children participate in a week filled with arts & crafts, swimming, sports, acting, singing and learning about nature. We have lots of parties and celebrations, such as “Stone Soup” where the children read the story of “Stone Soup and prepare soup for the families, the really fun part is the real pond stones the children place into the pots before adding all of the other ingredients.
Birthdays and Good-bye Parties
There are parties to celebrate the turning of age and the show of appreciation for participation in the program as well as summer BBQ’s, ice cream socials, fashion shows, holiday parties, the Annual Mayor’s Christmas Party just to name a few.
Field Trips
Field trips located within the community that includes trips to Color Me Mine Ceramic Studio where children of all ages can paint ceramics to take home. http://www.colormemine.com. Museums, the Los Angeles Zoo, local beaches, libraries, walk to neighborhood parks for picnics, swimming, movies, sports events, musicals and plays.
Our Goal
It is the goal of Haven House to become the turning point in the lives of children and their families by planting the seeds of empowerment so that they can obtain the positive experiences necessary in order to develop socially and emotionally. The Children’s Program serves more than 100 children/youth each year.
For more information, contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Program Supervisor
626-564-8880 x117.
You can Support the programs and services Haven House provides for children who have been exposed to domestic violence by making an online donation.
Thank you for your generosity!
