CHILDREN’S Services
Three Oaks Foundation serves women and their children who have experienced domestic violence.
Children Services are available in Shelter & throughout Outreach Services.
In-Shelter Services
During a their stay at the Emergency Shelter, women are encouraged to bring their children to ensure the safety of everyone in the home. Shelter staff advocate, provide referrals, safety planning and support for mothers and their children during their stay. Supplies for activities such as crafts and sports are provided to children.
Children's Outreach Program
- The Children’s Outreach Counsellor will provide early intervention to children aged 4 to 16 in Hastings and Prince Edward County who have been exposed to domestic violence.
- The Children’s Outreach Counsellor will provide children with the opportunity to process and understand the abuse experienced by the family, while developing constructive coping strategies through individual counselling.
- Program topics include, but are not limited to the following: managing emotions, types of abuse and myths about domestic violence, safety planning, conflict resolution, communication styles, boundary setting, healthy relationships and self-esteem.
- The Children’s Outreach Counsellor will collaborate with mothers and their children to create a safety plan in the event of further violence. The purpose of the safety plan is to prepare children so that they may make safe choices for personal protection.
- Triple P services are available upon request to help mother's reclaim authority and assert positive parenting strategies during their journey of parenting after abuse.
- Children's Group: Three Oaks Foundation offers group intervention to children in an effort to end the cycle of violence. The focus of group will be reducing feelings of isolation and promoting the healthy expression of feelings in a safe, validating environment.
If your children have been exposed to domestic violence and
require counselling, please contact the 24/7 Crisis Line:
OR
About Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
Children can be exposed to domestic violence in a variety of ways, all of these ways have long-lasting implications on a child. A child can be affected when they see or hear their mother being abused. They can also be impacted by being told about the abuse or seeing the aftermath of the abuse.
Potential implications to a child:
- Difficulty forming attachments
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight
- Anxiety and/or depression
- Stomach aches
- Post-traumatic stress
- Frequent illness
- Weight concerns
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Mental health conditions
- Chronic pain & pain conditions
Signs that may indicate exposure to domestic violence:
- Increased emotional behaviours and difficulty regulating emotions; e.g. display of aggression, excessively irritable or hyperactivity.
- Diminished school performance and academic achievement.
- Tiredness as a result of sleep disturbances