Therapy and Services

The therapeutic programs offered by the Little Blue House ensure that every child under our care receives a comprehensive evaluation that includes medical, nutritional and full developmental assessments. The children also receive a psychological and social assessment to identify developmental delays. Each child receives an Individualized Care Plan which is shared with all care providers and outside professionals to be sure that that the children receive the all help necessary to reach normal developmental levels as quickly as possible. For children who have substance abusers as their primary caregivers in the early portion of their lives, this intervention can be critical to the child's development.

In our experience, even children who come to us as "healthy" children have been substantially affected by abuse and/or neglect, resulting in developmental delays including speech and language deficiencies, information processing difficulties, and behavior problems. Poor nutrition and lack of medical care also contribute to poor development. Our therapists have stressed that the earlier in life such deficiencies are identified, the greater the likelihood of treatment success long term. Our goal is to help these children achieve healthy, age-appropriate developmental levels, viewing timely and appropriate medical and therapeutic intervention as key to a child's greater developmental success, whether or not these costs are reimbursed.

Older children have many different issues, including developmental delays, emotional problems and unmet nutritional needs, caused by years of abuse or neglect. The more quickly therapeutic interventions are implemented, the greater the benefit to the child. The long-term goal is to use early intervention, including therapeutic interventions as necessary, to move these children toward achieving age-appropriate developmental levels, and prepare them for school and to use all of our resources to help ensure the child's next home will be safe and permanent. Our staff members receive initial training in child development and attend additional in-service training programs throughout the year on a wide variety of subjects, including behavior management, grief and loss in children, toddler nutrition and CPR.

Medical and nutritional evaluation: All children are taken for a complete medical screening as soon as possible after intake. Nutritional evaluation is also done quickly. LBH staff follows all professional recommendations.
Developmental/Psychiatric evaluations: All children receive appropriate developmental assessments and psycho-social evaluations. Courts and appropriate parties are notified of results and recommendations.
Interaction with biological/foster/adoptive families: LBH staff works to facilitate visitations, providing written reports of visits to the courts and appropriate professionals. We also work to develop a positive relationship with families in order to offer post-placement support as may be needed.
We foster reunification. Mom's visits to the LBH are not just visits. We actively encourage Mom to participate in the daily care of her children, feeding, bathing and being a part of regular House activities under the watchful eyes of our LBH staff. Mom can also accompany her children on the many socialization exercises we take kids on, like trips to the store and the playground, and special outings to the pool or county fairs.

LBH Socialization Therapy Prepares Children for Family Life

All children in the Little Blue House benefit from our External Activities Program/socialization therapy, where children take supervised trips to go swimming (a favorite) and to places such as the zoo, parks and playgrounds, Disney On Ice and other live shows, Children's Museums, and carnivals. Because we are a family oriented facility and work hard to prepare children for family life, children go grocery or hardware shopping with staff. Children are also given the opportunity to go clothing and toy shopping for their own accessories and play items. These activities give the child a sense of belonging and an increased self esteem because they are able to make their own choices. Each trip to the store or activity outing is a teaching opportunity and socialization experience. It is a chance for the children to learn how to wait for their turn on the water slide, sit quietly in the movie theater, or experience sights and sounds in a wide variety of environments many have never before experienced. Individual activities with a staff member are also planned for children as rewards for good behavior. The child will be allowed to choose his/her favorite activity and receive quality one on one time. All of these activities are a form of therapy for the under stimulated and underdeveloped children we receive at the LBH. This program is a wonderful example of how the Little Blue House offers age-appropriate stimulation to improve a child's overall development and prepare them for family life.

LBH Case Management and Social Work are Effective

What do these therapeutic interventions and LBH case management mean to the child who comes to The Little Blue House? Here are some of our successes!

A 4 year old boy arrived at the LBH described as having behavior problems, an ear infection and ringworm so severe, it resisted initial treatment. His initial medical exams, developmental evaluation and psych report concluded that the boy was receiving insufficient medical attention, had an attachment disorder and the emotional development of a 1-year old. He was due to start school in just a few months. We provided him with a daily therapeutic pre-school at our own expense, a great deal of one-on-one time with LBH staff, a big brother/mentor (a relationship that is still going on today) and external activities at every available opportunity. The child was never given any medications for behavioral modification during his stay at the LBH. The result is that he not only started school on time just a few months later, but he attended regular school --not in a special education program!--and was Student of the Month for the entire school twice during his stay at the LBH.
A 3-year girl arrived at the LBH with two siblings. All were diagnosed as being developmentally delayed, due to long-term neglect. During the initial thorough evaluation arranged by the LBH, the therapist commented that her behaviors too often mirrored her little brother's and that she needed a chance to develop her own personality separate from that of her two brothers. She was also diagnosed with an attachment disorder, resulting from inadequate stabilization and support structure. At LBH expense, she was enrolled in a private pre-school program with a playgroup specifically for 3-year old little girls. She was also given lots of one-on one time with staff and every trip to playgroup included a stop by Starbucks for juice and a muffin. The result was a very healthy attachment to the women on our staff as role models and as substitute mother-figures. She developed a very strong sense of herself. Her newly developed self confidence led her to say to her brothers when playing a game, "No! Follow me." She also developed a healthy sense of vanity which had her running upstairs to change clothes every time the door bell rang. On a recent play date with current LBH residents, she played big sister to all of the little girls currently residing at the LBH.
A 4-month old arrived at the LBH after being severely neglected by his substance abusing mother. He was born pre-maturely and was being constantly monitored by an apnea device. He was clearly below weight and barely responsive. He was left alone in a crib so long without being moved that the back of his head was flat. He was very susceptible to the very dangerous RSV virus. His situation was reported to social services when a nurse at a local hospital noticed his lack of development. His developmental evaluation suggested he might be retarded since he was not responding to movement and sound. In less than 60 days in the LBH with visiting occupational therapists and constant attention and stimulation by LBH staff, all of his vital signs and developmental measurements made dramatic improvements. Within a few months, he gained a significant amount of weight and all of his developmental measurements were within normal ranges. One of his visiting therapists called his developmental turn "very significant" and gave credit to the constant attention and supportive environment at the LBH.