Whether children witness or experience abuse, it takes a toll on their development. Domestic violence victims are not just adults. Children are at an increased risk for internalized cognitive, behavioral, and emotional effects of domestic violence, regardless if they were directly abused. MSP not only works with adult survivors, specialized programs support the children of our adult clients so that they too can thrive and begin to regain their childhood.
For Kareem* and Noelle* life has not been easy journey, witnessing the abuse of their mother, *Diane from under under their beds - where they hid to feel safe. Diane knew she wanted to keep her children safe so she reached out to MSP for help.
After successfully working towards the goal of finding their own safe housing, the family was preparing to leave the shelter for the home they envisioned for themselves. On the day they moved out from the shelter, Kareem jumped into the arms of his social worker, looked her in the eye and smiled as he handed her a picture he drew of the shelter, which he had called home for the last three months. Rather than hiding under beds, Kareem and Noelle bloomed and learned that they are resilient and can trust in the support of others.Thanks to MSP they know they're safe in their new home where don't need to hide under their beds.
(*Names have been changed to prot
ect the privacy of the survivors we serve.)