Child Abuse & Neglect

HANNAH THOMAS, BRENDA MARTINEZ, LAINE REED

Formulating a Plan:

Our Goal
To bring help and relief to children and teens who have

suffered the effects of child abuse and neglect and to bring them a source of joy and a chance to forget their hardships. To raise public awareness of the widespread issue of child abuse/neglect.

Possible Collaborators in Austin

The Settlement Home for Children

Helping Hand Home for Children

The Austins Children Center Austins House

Each of these are organizations that work to shelter and rehabilitate children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. They provide a safe and nurturing environment to facilitate recovery.

The Settlement Home for Children

Their mission: To promote healing and growth in children, young adults,

and families by providing a continuum of care, support, and resources. Residential Treatment Center- For girls between 7 and 21; offers therapeutic care whenever it's needed and provides on-campus schooling for girls who are not able to attend public school. Independent Group Living- For girls 7-21; These homes are able to provide a more family-like setting as well as give these girls the opportunity to attend public school. Transitional Living- The transitional living is for girls who have reached the age of being legal adults (18) and are working to pursue their education or have a job. Foster & Adoption Program- For children birth to 18. The goal of this program is to place children, whether permanently or temporarily, in safe and loving homes with caring and nurturing families.

How Can We Help?

Last semester, a capstone group organized a recreational spa day for the girls currently living in the Settlement Home. After initiating contact with the Program Support Coordinators, Jacob Huereca and Philippa Peart, we found that the girls really enjoyed the spa day and that it was a viable option to reorganize.

We wanted to work in a hands-on environment with the girls instead of being third party associates. In other words, we wanted to be directly involved in supporting the girls through their difficulties.

Option 1: Clothing/Money Drive

This would be a low-cost way of raising money for the childrens homes, and would provide the children in these homes with new things they otherwise may not be able to have. Advantages: - Opportunity to raise money to donate to an organization - Give the children things they are in need of Disadvantages: - May not receive enough participation - Does not allow for a personal connection with the children we are helping - Would not give us the opportunity to raise as much awareness of the issue as we would like

Option 2: Bake Day/Sale

This would be a fun opportunity to interact with the children at the homes and to raise money for the organizations by selling the sweets we bake. Advantages: -Gives the children a chance to have fun -Allows us to have a more personal and intimate connection with the children we are helping -Be able raise money for the homes with profits from bake sale Disadvantages: -We would need a space to bake so many goods -Can we get all the necessary supplies? -Would we be able to find a local business to sponsor our event?

Option 3: Spa Day

This would be similar to a bake day, it would be hands-on bonding and positive interactions with the children at the homes. Advantages -Get to know the kids on a personal level -Give them a day to relax and forget hardships -We are able to be sure that we are helping them -Carrying on a successful tradition Disadvantages -How will we get all the supplies we need? -Is there a place we can do it? -Is there a local business willing to work with us?

Our Plan: Spa Day

We have decided to take the approach of creating a spa day at the

Settlement Home for Children. We will be working mainly with teen and preteen girls ages 7-18.
We are in touch with the Settlement Home and they are on board for a

spa day for their girls. We are scheduled to meet with them on Tuesday, March 4 to finalize the plan.
We are looking into local cosmetology schools in Austin to find a

sponsor for this event, or cosmetology students looking for some extra practice that will come in and help at spa day. (Baldwin Beauty Schools) (Linear HS cosmetology program)

Organizing the Spa Day

We will also reach out to other Austin High students interested in

volunteering at the spa day. - Can gain community service/volunteer credit. - Will be a valuable part of helping children in need.
We are going to begin contacting local cosmetology organizations who

may be interested in assisting us. - Cosmetology students can gain experience. - A beneficial way to advertise their business.
We may hold a donation drive for materials or contact a local salon

willing to donate to the cause. - Will be given credit for any donations (advertisement).

Communication
Settlement Home: we sent a professional, business-style

email to the Program Support Coordinators. They responded quickly, and we have maintained steady contact ever since. We plan to meet in person soon to organize the event.

Example of Email Sent to the Settlement Home

Communication
Volunteers: We will directly communicate with fellow Austin

HS students who may be interested in helping. We will post flyers around the school and make announcements if need be, and offer volunteer credit as incentive. - We will need no more than 5 extra volunteers due to Settlement Home policy. - Flyers will be eye-catching and gear toward high school students looking to gain volunteer credit and who want to assist children in need.

Communication
Outside Support: We will be calling and visiting the local

cosmetology organizations and salons with AGS letterhead so they know we are trustworthy and motivated to assist children in need. We will provide them with an organized outline of our plan so they can get involved. We will also provide an itemized list of donations we need so they can choose what to donate. We will ensure them of the benefit and reward or participating in the event. - Experience -Advertisement Opportunity

Communication
Girls & Families: To maximize participation in the event, will

we ensure that all girls at the home are aware of the event and have an opportunity to participate. We are planning to discuss further options with the Program Support Coordinators on Tuesday. - Professional e-mail to girls/families if possible. - Evite Invitation or personal invitations. - Post on Settlement Home website.