Coming Together to Better Support Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Needs
e are very excited to announce the merging of Washington Association for Infant Mental Health (WA-AIMH) with Childhaven. Our organizations are exceptionally well aligned in mission, vision, values, and strategy. By combining our strengths, we can better accelerate our work, achieve our goals, and advance our collective vision to ensure young children have the support they need to thrive.
This merger brings numerous benefits to Childhaven and to the kids and families in our care:
Improved access to valuable Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) resources such as state-wide endorsement, curricula, training platform, and partnerships
Additional IECMH endorsement and trainings for Childhaven staff members
Membership in the national Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
Ability to accelerate workforce development and capacity building in the early childhood sector
This partnership also means that your support for Childhaven is going further than it ever has before, helping to bring vital training and support to more of the early childhood/family workforce, supporting more children and families across the state.
Fall Newsletter 2023
Healing Through Connection and Creative Expression
hired 48 new staff members to expand the services we offer and families we serve
provided 4,713 hours of individual and family therapy sessions
provided
provided 27,304 service hours to clients in 12 various programs
14,549 meals and 7,460 snacks to children in our EACAP programs
Our Annual Gala & Fundraiser is just around the corner!
Saturday, October 14th
Hyatt Regency Bellevue | 5pm
Register today at https://bit.ly/ChildhavenGala2023
https://childhaven.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/IlluminateGala/Registration
Please join us for an evening of ILLUMINATION as we shine a light on the challenges affecting early childhood mental health and work together to make sure kids and families have what they need to reach their full potential!
You’ll enjoy a reception with cocktails, professional photos & fun activities, followed by dinner and a live auction as well as a chance to win our golden raffle.
Register now to reserve your seat and learn more about the impact you can make in the lives of children and their families. We can’t wait to see you!
Can’t join in person? You can still support the event by making a donation in lieu of your attendance at childhaven.org
https://childhaven.org/
For questions about auction donations (monetary or item donation,) sponsorship, or other details, please contact our events coordinator Mikaela Johnstone at Mikaela.j@childhaven.org
mailto:Mikaela.j@childhaven.org
Therapeutic creative expression is one of the many ways Childhaven helps kids and families get in touch with hard-to-reach feelings brought on by childhood trauma. Art with Heart by Childhaven provides printed art expression books that bring the healing power of creative expression to children and adults serving youth.
https://artwithheart.org/
Over the course of this last year, Art with Heart materials have reached over 18,000 kids and caregivers across the US, Canada, and the UK. Custom printed books and materials have been incorporated into Eluna Network’s Camp Mariposa and Camp Erin as part of their program curriculum addressing grief and addiction. Other custom partners include Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada and Heart House Hospice, just to name a few.
https://elunanetwork.org/
Knowing that art can turn pain into possibility, our goal is to provide creative tools, resources, and support to any child or community in need of healing. We’re excited about expanding our portfolio in the coming year with the development of two new titles to support caregivers with kids ages 1-3 and ages 3-5.
Printed curricula for ages 5-19 are available now with in-person and online trainings coming soon for caregivers who are leading or looking to lead creative expression programs with the youth they serve. Our ability to provide and expand this program is made possible by generous contributors like you. You can help kids and caregivers find healing through connection and creative expression Thank you!
https://donate.childhaven.org/campaign/donate-to-childhaven/c278718
Deloitte Visits Childhaven on Their Impact Day
Childhaven hosted a team of 21 volunteers from Deloitte as part of their annual Impact Day. Deloitte is a proud supporter of Childhaven and has joined us on-site for their Impact Day for many years. They have participated in our annual fall gala and have supported our organization in many other ways!
Childhaven welcomed these 21 volunteers at our Burien location, where they spent the day beautifying the campus, doing projects including flower planting, washing children’s bikes, cleaning classrooms and painting furniture – all in preparation for our Burien Classrooms to open up again in Fall 2023. Deloitte’s team of volunteers joined us with positive spirits, smiles, and a ready-to-work attitude, completing all the projects we hoped to accomplish and more.
Many thanks to Deloitte, their volunteers, and everyone who put effort into making this day happen. We are a giant step closer to being ready to welcome children back to our classrooms this fall! Thank you Deloitte!
ILLUMINATE 2023 Childhaven Gala
“I make art when I can’t gather the words to say.” - Nikki Rowe
https://childhaven.org/
Partnering with Pediatric Clinics for Better Outcomes for Families
Childhaven’s Healthcare Integration Initiative is a response to parents and caregivers of young children wanting more coordinated and centralized access to services. A cornerstone of this program is hiring staff members who speak the languages of the families and who are able to provide culturally adapted early childhood screening tools. This initiative helps families to overcome barriers to care, navigate complex systems, and increase the sense of community and belonging.
Many children experience developmental delays and early identification is critical to optimize language, cognitive, motor and social/emotional development. However, only 10% of these children are identified and receive intervention. Non-English parent language households are 40% less likely to receive screenings.
Childhaven’s developmental specialists navigate and advocate for families, providing holistic care, based on each family’s circumstances. They listen deeply, build trust, and offer resources that meet the family where they are. Healthcare Integration also provides additional capacity to the clinics to explore what other needs may be expressed by the families. This holistic approach to meeting family needs promotes healthy development for young children.
The Healthcare Integration Initiative has expanded and Childhaven is currently partnering with Harborview Pediatric Clinic, Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, and the Sea Mar South Park Clinic. Since the program’s inception, it has demonstrated a significant increase in families receiving additional supports for their young children, moving them closer to reaching their full potential.
Take a tour and see your support at work!
Interested in hearing more about the families and programs you support? Join us for an upcoming TOUR to see the impact in action, hear about Childhaven’s growth and goals, and find out more about ways to engage in Childhaven’s vision. Tours are free, interactive, and 1 hour.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Tuesday, September 26th 6∶30pm-7∶30pm
Thursday, October 19th 2pm-3pm
Tours are at the Childhaven Auburn Branch. For more information and to reserve your spot, please email Leonia Coleman, Philanthropy Development Officer at tours@childhaven.org.
mailto:tours@childhaven.org
