Mountainstar Family Relief Nursery

MOUNTAINSTAR FAMILY RELIEF NURSERY'S MISSION IS TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT THROUGH COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES THAT HELP VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SUCCEED. WE ARE THE ONLY PROGRAM IN DESCHUTES, JEFFERSON, AND CROOK COUNTIES PROVIDING THERAPEUTIC CLASSROOMS, PARENTING EDUCATION SERVICES, AND FAMILY SUPPORT TARGETED AT PROTECTING BABIES AND TODDLERS WHO ARE AT SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR ABUSE AND NEGLECT. WE ENVISION COMMUNITIES THAT SUPPORT EACH PARENT'S EFFORTS TO NURTURE THEIR CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT: WE SERVED 284 CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH OUR RELIEF NURSERY IN FYE2021. 99.6% OF ALL CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR RELIEF NURSERY SERVICES REMAINED SAFE FROM CONFIRMED REPORTS OF ABUSE AND NEGLECT DURING THE FISCAL YEAR. IN ADDITION, 89.8% OF CHILDREN IN THE THERAPEUTIC EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM MET OR EXCEEDED WIDELY-HELD EXPECTATIONS FOR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 58% OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ENROLLED IN THE TECP REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN FAMILY FUNCTIONING AND RESILIENCY. ALL CHILDREN ENROLLED IN OUR CLASSROOMS WERE OFFERED HEALTH, VISION, BEHAVIORAL, AND DENTAL SCREENINGS ON-SITE. WE ARE PARTNERING WITH LOCAL HEALTH SYSTEMS TO REDUCE REDUNDANCE, ACHIEVE COLLECTIVE IMPACT, AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.AS WE LEARNED TO LIVE DURING A PANDEMIC, THE ORGANIZATION AND OUR SERVICES GREW AND DEVELOPED. MOUNTAINSTAR STARTED THE FISCAL YEAR WITH SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR REGULAR SERVICES - ONLY MEETING WITH FAMILIES VIRTUALLY OR IN OUTDOOR LOCATIONS, AND ONLY CARING FOR CHILDREN FROM ONE FAMILY DURING EACH CLASS PERIOD. WE WERE ABLE TO RE-OPEN CLASSROOMS FOR REGULAR SERVICES IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, WITH SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 (MASKING, SANITIZING, AND INCREASED HAND-WASHING). WE CONTINUED TO HOST FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND PARENTING EDUCATION EVENTS VIRTUALLY OVER THE COURSE OF THE FISCAL YEAR. IN SEPTEMBER, MOUNTAINSTAR OPENED A NEW LOCATION IN REDMOND, OREGON TO BEGIN PROVIDING RELIEF NURSERY TECP SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AGES 0-3. WE SERVED 13 CHILDREN THROUGH THE REDMOND TECP IN FY20-21 AND ANTICIPATE SERVING MORE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.WE ARE PROUD OF OUR ABILITY TO QUICKLY PIVOT, AND CHANGE THE WAY WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE FAMILIES - AS WELL AS THE WAY WE SUPPORT STAFF DURING AN INCREDIBLE CHAOTIC AND STRESSFUL TIME. OVER THE FISCAL YEAR, WE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS ON MEETING THE NEEDS OF BOTH OUR STAFF AND THE FAMILIES WE SERVE. STAFF CONTINUED TO MEET WITH FAMILIES (VIRTUALLY OR OUTDOORS) TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL AND CRISIS SUPPORT AND TO DROP OF FOOD, CLOTHING, DIAPERS, AND OTHER NECESSARY SUPPLIES. THE ORGANIZATION, IN TURN, SUPPORTED OUR STAFF THROUGH PROVIDING ADDITIONAL REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION AND SECURING FUNDS TO ALLOW STAFF TO WORK FROM HOME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IN THE SAME VEIN AS LAST YEAR, WE KNOW THAT CHILD ABUSE INCREASES IN TIMES OF CRISIS, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE VERY CONCERNED FOR THE VULNERABLE CHILDREN WE SERVE. ALL PEOPLE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE EXTRA STRESS AND ISOLATION, AND CHILDREN CAN BECOME VICTIMS OF ABUSE WHEN FRUSTRATIONS BOIL OVER. MOUNTAINSTAR FAMILIES ARE FACING OTHER CHALLENGES (SUCH AS POVERTY, FOOD AND HOUSING INSECURITY, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ILLNESSES) WHICH CAN FEEL EVEN MORE CHALLENGING DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE THERAPEUTIC SERVICES, SUPPORT, AND SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE PROVIDE CONTINUE TO BE CRITICAL TO HELPING VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SUCCEED.

IN SEPTEMBER AND INTO OCTOBER 2020, WE INCREASED OUR CLASSROOMS AND ADDED PRESCHOOL PROMISE CLASSES AT THREE OF OUR SITES. THESE CLASSROOMS SERVED CHILDREN WHO WOULD HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN SENT TO OTHER PRESCHOOLS AFTER "GRADUATING" FROM RELIEF NURSERY SERVICES. SINCE ADDING THESE CLASSROOMS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE FAMILIES AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE WRAP-AROUND SERVICES. WE SERVED 33 CHILDREN THROUGH OUR PRESCHOOL PROMISE CLASSROOMS IN BEND, MADRAS AND PRINEVILLE AND WE HOPE TO EVENTUALLY PROVIDE THESE CLASSROOMS AT ALL OF OUR SITES. 93.3% OF CHILDREN ENROLLED IN THESE CLASSROOMS MET WIDELY-HELD EXPECTATIONS FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND 90% MET EXPECTATIONS FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT - TWO AREAS THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS IN KINDERGARTEN, THROUGHOUT SCHOOL, AND INTO ADULT LIFE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE EARLY LEARNING DIVISION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRESCHOOL PROMISE PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED IN A WAY THAT INCLUDES VULNERABLE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND HELPS THEM ACHEIVE TO THEIR POTENTIAL.