Junior League Grant Outfits Therapy Rooms to ‘Help Families Heal’ from Separation

 Mental health therapy doesn’t always include a patient discussing their problems while lying on a chaise lounge and staring at the ceiling.

In fact, early childhood mental health counseling often involves parents and children, family-friendly furniture and a lot of toys.

The Junior League of Sarasota County donated $5,000 to the Florida Center for Early Childhood to outfit visitation rooms where children in the welfare system can visit parents and receive counseling from mental health professionals.

The rooms, which were outfitted with comfortable furniture, soothing décor and toys for play therapy, are a crucial part of the Florida Center’s Early Childhood Court (ECC) Program.

ECC is a specialized, team-based approach that helps infants and toddlers find a stable, permanent home more quickly than in traditional court proceedings so they don’t miss out on important relationship-building milestones. Research shows nurturing relationships are critical for a child’s healthy development. 

The brain is particularly vulnerable to trauma during the early childhood years, and often children are not able to learn, grow, and develop to their full potential in an environment of abuse or neglect. ECC, with its strong emphasis on mental health therapy, breaks the inter-generational cycle that often occurs in these types of situations, helping both parent and child heal from trauma. The process improves outcomes, strengthens relationships and reduces recidivism.

Funds from the Junior League of Sarasota County transformed rooms from a clinical setting into home-like spaces that are also conducive for therapy sessions. Families in the program said their time together felt more comfortable and natural after the improvements.

The Florida Center for Early Childhood manages the ECC program locally, in conjunction with Sarasota Family YMCA/Safe Children Coalition. ECC specialized intervention teams include a Case Manager, Infant Mental Health Therapist and Family Support Worker.

Each ECC team can serve up to 20 children and their families. There are currently three ECC teams in Sarasota and Manatee Counties serving approximately 60 vulnerable families with children under the age of three.