Our mission is to serve abused and neglected children and youth by providing protective shelter and developmentally appropriate care in a nurturing environment.
The Difference at Pendleton Place
Pendleton Place provides a safe and comforting home for children and youth in crisis. In addition to providing them with the basic necessities, we believe it is important to help children begin healing from the emotional and physical pain they have experienced. Recognizing the value of providing children with the support and resources they need to heal, grow, and reach their full potential is what makes Pendleton Place unique.
On-Site Pediatrician’s Office
Our on-site medical program provides complete pediatric services for all Pendleton Place residents. In addition to routine care, our children also receive a comprehensive medical exam within 72 hours after arriving at the shelter. (If they have immediate medical needs, they will be seen as soon as they arrive.) Many children come to us with injuries, illnesses, or have been sexually abused. Some have never even seen a medical professional. They often have unique medical and psychological needs based on the specific trauma they have experienced. Access to an on-site medical program reduces the trauma of emergency room visits and eliminates the associated high costs paid by the community, provides consistent quality care, and allows each child to establish a trusting relationship with their medical professional.
Our doctors believe that having an on-site program allows them the ability to establish a relationship with each child, enabling them to better asses and diagnose their unique medical issues. Our pediatricians are able to have routine communication with each child’s direct-care providers, which helps them to better understand and treat the child’s overall health and well-being.
Recreation
Pendleton Place believes that recreation is an important part of the therapeutic process, and therefore we make it an integral piece of our program. We believe that it is important for every child to have the opportunity to experience new ways of learning and having fun. Our activity calendar includes opportunities within the shelter (baking, arts and crafts, etc.) as well as outings in the community. Recreational outings not only reduce behavior problems in the shelter, but they provide the children with an emotional “escape” from the issues that brought them into the foster care system. Recreation also gives our staff the opportunity to teach the children important life skills (table manners in a restaurant, how to play nicely with other and work as a team, etc.).
Abuse Prevention Education
Unfortunately, statistics show that many of the children who come to Pendleton Place will cycle in and out of the foster care system. Pendleton Place believes it is important to provide children with the tools and skills they need to protect themselves (as best they can) from future abuse, as well as appropriately deal with the feelings they have as a result of being victimized. In order to do this, we implemented an Abuse Prevention Education program for children ages 5 and up. This program aims to teach children:
- How to recognize the different types of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)
- How to report abuse or neglect and keep themselves safe
- Abuse is not their fault! Many victims of abuse or neglect feel ashamed and guilty. We want them to understand that abuse is not their fault.
- Coping skills to deal with their feelings of frustration and anger.
- An abusive or neglectful past does not determine their future. Every child has the potential to have a positive and successful future.
Smith House Program
Unlike many long-term residential programs, Smith House allows girls to stay until they are 21 years of age. This allows them the opportunity to complete high school and develop a long-term plan for success. Smith House is also unique in that our staff doesn’t simply teach residents about independent living skills, but provide them with opportunities to put those skills into practice. The girls learn about job skills, writing resumes and going on interviews, and having a bank account. They learn to cook for themselves, take care of their home, and work together as a family unit. And with good grades and positive behavior, residents are allowed to have jobs, earn their own spending money, and earn the privilege to go on unsupervised outings.
The Smith House program also teaches residents the value of community service. All of the girls participate in monthly volunteer projects that allow them the opportunity to learn about philanthropy and helping others.