The Children’s Program at Women In Distress provides a variety of services to children ages 4-17, such as: respite care, parenting, children’s groups and individual counseling. These services are provided at the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center and at the shelter.

While participants receive services, their children are entertained in a child friendly, safe environment which WID refers to as Respite. Respite staff provides a schedule of activities for the children such as: arts & crafts, puppet shows, movies, and other related child activities. Our staff engages about 300 children each month in activities that foster social skills.

WID also provides counseling to children at the shelter and the Family Center. We offer children’s groups, individual counseling, and parenting classes. Rapport building, anger management, play sessions, and counseling games are some of the tools WID uses to help children who have experienced domestic violence.

Last year, Women In Distress provided shetler to 339 women and men - 158 were children.

Quality Service

Our staff is constantly improving counseling techniques and sharing information with one another to reach new levels of excellence. Consistent training opportunities are provided to the Children's Department staff, especially, in order to keep up with the latest advances in children therapy. Begining in July 2007, the Children’s Department staff was introduced to and trained by Dr. Linda B. Hunter, Ph.D., LCSW. Dr. Hunter has been working professionally with children and families since 1983. She is a psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, registered Play Therapist- Supervisor and a Clinical Member of the International Society of Sandplay Therapists. 

Dr. Hunter returned to Women In Distress in 2009 to demonstrate sand tray play therapy for children. Her knowledge and research on these new techniques involving sand tray play therapy were extremely well-recieved at Women In Distress.

For more information, please contact Children's Department Manager Donna Bivona, LMHC.