“Don’t worry,” she told her new friend. “It’s safe here,” she whispered loudly. She gave a big baby-tooth grin and held out her hand.
The curly hair three-year-old was new to the preschool. She wiped away tears, took her fellow preschooler’s hand and sat for lunch.
These unscripted moments are not uncommon at Mi Escuelita Therapeutic Preschool where children impacted by violence and abuse find a place to heal.
In 2006, in partnership with Chula Vista Elementary School District, South Bay Community Services (SBCS) opened Mi Escuelita, a first of its kind therapeutic preschool to help break the cycle of violence and provide a strong path for school success. Today, it serves 72 children aged three to five for free, full-day therapeutic quality early education.
There is always a waiting list.
“We designed our family violence services through the eyes of the children,” SBCS President and CEO Kathryn Lembo said. “Emergency shelters were built so a parent could bring all their children. Holistic services were designed to meet a whole family’s needs so they can succeed and move forward together.”
Lembo said they found that many of the younger children were being asked to leave other preschool or day care settings due to behavioral issues. This impacted a parent’s ability to find a full-time job as well as a child’s academic foundation.
The effect of domestic violence on children, whether they witness or have been physically abused, impacts their development, mental health, education and future.
Children living in violent homes are at higher risk for substance abuse, failure in school, aggressive behavior or depression. Infants and small children who are exposed to violence in the home experience so much added emotional stress that it can harm development to their brains and impair cognitive and sensory growth. Studies show that more than half of school age children in domestic violence shelters show clinical levels of anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.
No one wins when there is violence in the home.
Mi Escuelita children are referred by Child Welfare Services, health centers, law enforcement or community-based programs. Most of the children are being raised in single parent female-headed households with an average family size of four. The average monthly family income is about $1,500. About a third of Mi Escuelita students are in foster care.
“Children at Mi Escuelita when they first come in tend to be withdrawn or they can be at the extreme and be very aggressive,” Mi Escuelita teacher said. “They may have a hard time making friends. But as time goes on and the longer they are with us, you see them flourish. You see them making friends; play with eachother and just smile.”
Mi Escuelita has a strong staff of qualified teachers, full time therapists, developmental specialists and senior volunteers in each classroom. The preschool incorporates the evidence-based Incredible Years and Frog Street curricula.Wrap around services are provided for the whole family including, emergency food and shelter, transitional and affordable housing, counseling and crisis intervention, parenting classes, home visits as well as youth intervention and diversion programs for older siblings.
Mi Escuelita receives about 60% of its funds from First 5 San Diego and California Office of Emergency Services. The remainder is provided by private donations, student sponsorships and SBCS’ annual Change Their Lives gala.
A recent five-year longitudinal study by University of California, San Diego (UCSD) examined the overall effectiveness of Mi Escuelita on school readiness for these vulnerable and at-risk children. Results from the evaluation clearly illustrate that, across all years, children who participated in the Mi Escuelita program performed equal to, and often better, than their peers on several different academic outcomes.
The one piece we don’t often hear about is the every day peer to peer mentoring that Mi Escuelita teachers, specialists and volunteers witness each day. A kind word, a gentle gesture, or maybe just a smile among little friends are special signs of healing and hope.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s a time to come together and raise our voices against abuse, to honor survivors and to work together toward prevention. Part of this prevention is to learn more about domestic violence and to understand that it can happen to anyone in any community.
Join us to share resources and information to help stop the cycle of violence and save lives. Please visit SouthBayCommunityServices.org and click on Domestic Violence Awareness Month for information on October events throughout the county.
Karina’s Restaurants, Savoie, The Galley at the Marina and other local restaurants will be hosting Dine Out Against Domestic Violence on Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Enjoy a meal out with friends this day and you will help change lives.
Mi Escuelita Therapeutic Preschool is also part of Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood, which is coordinated by South Bay Community Services and is proud to partner with Castle Park Elementary, Castle Park Middle, Castle Park High School, Hilltop Middle and Hilltop High School to bring new opportunities and pathways of success for their students and families. For more information, please visit CVPromise.org or call (619) 422-5005.
