Get to know – Center for Child Counseling

What is the name of your organization?

Center for Child Counseling

What is your mission?

The Center for Child Counseling is building the foundation for playful, healthful, and hopeful living for children and families in Palm Beach County. Our vision is healthy, resilient children and families through an ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)-aware and trauma-informed community.

How and when did you get started?

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health has been the foundation of the Center for Child Counseling’s mission in Palm Beach County since our founding in 1999. Our programs and expertise are grounded in research about early brain development and the impact of adversity and trauma on healthy growth. Violence and abuse in the earliest years of life are forms of “toxic stress” that can fundamentally change a child’s developing brain. Secure, stable, supportive relationships between children and caring adults in the family and community contribute significantly to children’s healthy development. These relationships buffer the brain from the damage and create secure environments that promote positive social-emotional, cognitive, and health outcomes.

Who do you help?

We focus on the youngest children in our community because research shows that the period of life from prenatal to age 6 provides the foundation for health and learning throughout the lifespan. We also work with family members, teachers, and childcare providers to create wraparound support for at-risk children and teens up to the age of 18.

Are there volunteer opportunities?  Any where children can be helpful/involved?

Yes, we welcome volunteers! While our children and families are protected by HIPAA legislation which protects their privacy, we do need volunteers to help with activities and events not directly involved with working with children. Please share your skills and expertise with us.

Are there any specific items that people can donate?

We need funds to support our vital work and people can donate directly on our website. We also have an Amazon wish list that where you can shop to provide those little extras that help support us in our work. https://www.centerforchildcounseling.org/ways-to-give/wish-list/

What is your website?

www.centerforchildcounseling.org

What else do we need to know about you?

Our work is crucial to the mental health of young children and their families in that it helps individuals but also contributes to breaking the intergenerational cycle of abuse and neglect that can plague families and communities. Our work is not fully funded by any agency or government entity. We rely on the support of individuals and organizations to operate our full range of programs.