Basic Needs
Each child admitted to Providence House receives their own bed or crib, personal storage areas, and a nutritious diet of three meals and three healthy snacks per day. Children follow a daily schedule that includes personal grooming, playtime, and educational lessons, nap or rest times, and bedtime to assist with their transition to our structured environment and reduce the impact of trauma experienced during the crisis that initiated their stay with us.

Personal Items
When a child arrives at Providence House, he or she is given five to seven sets of new clothing, two pairs of pajamas, personal hygiene items, shoes, a handmade blanket, books, toys, a teddy bear, and above all, respect and unconditional love. Each child takes the clothing and other items they have received home with them in a child-size suitcase, duffel, or backpack.

Trauma-Informed Care Environment
To better address the significant crises faced by our children and families, we operate in a trauma-informed care environment, where we provide emotional and physical safety to our children and families at all times. Virtually all of the children who stay at Providence House have NOT been abused or neglected, but most children have experienced some level of trauma as a result of the crises their family is experiencing. Trained childcare staff provide activities designed to alleviate trauma symptoms during a child’s stay through our daily curriculum. Our Social Work team also uses short, in-the-moment interventions with children whose trauma-related behavior is escalated.

Emergency Placement Program
In April 2019, Providence House began reserving beds in our Pediatric Crisis Nursery for our Emergency Placement Program, in partnership with the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Children in this program benefit from the same home-like environment and receive the same basic needs assistance as children served through our traditional, noncustodial programming until a long-term foster or adoptive placement or family members can be identified. This program not only provides DCFS staff with peace of mind in knowing that the children in their custody are safe, but it also provides a trauma-informed environment for the children instead of the county’s childcare room, which creates a softer transition between placements.