A San Diego preschool helps the tiniest survivors of domestic violence heal

This story was originally published by CalMatters Sign up for their newsletters change the hyperlink to the original story Elizabeth Gibot s son James was normally a quiet and well-behaved toddler But she noticed he began to cry more and appeared anxious whenever she wasn t around He also stopped using the sign language she taught him as a baby She knew something was wrong so she reached out to their pediatrician but the specialist couldn t provide any help or answers He regressed from everything that I had taught him she declared I guess it was very hard for other people to notice because nobody knows your child more than you At the time Gibot had just left her partner who she mentioned was physically verbally emotionally and financially abusive She tried to shield James when things got confrontational but living in a small house made it unavoidable at times Gibot began searching for guidance online She stumbled upon Mi Escuelita a preschool in San Diego dedicated to students who have experienced family trauma such as domestic violence After several thought she enrolled James Just that alone was a huge weight off my shoulders knowing that he s going to be here and with professionals that are going to help him in approaches that I could never I mean at least not in that moment in time she noted Elizabeth Gibot left and her son James Gibot received mental soundness services offered to Mi Escuelita students and their families Photos by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters Mi Escuelita founded in offers students on-site mental fitness services and a safe space where children can learn and heal It s considered a leader among therapeutic preschools and it offers insight to the emerging concept of a trauma-informed learning atmosphere for students and their families Run by the nonprofit SBCS formerly known as South Bay Population Services the school has long provided services to families in need including those experiencing domestic violence Mi Escuelita grew out of those programs It s to really focus on the little guys stated Stacey Musso director of the behavioral medical and wellness department at SBCS In addition to making sure students are ready for kindergarten Mi Escuelita offers one-on-one and group therapy It has on-site therapists accessible to students during school hours Angelina Puffelis clinical supervisor at Mi Escuelita says the access provides her band an opportunity to work with students and address issues as they bubble up Top left Professor Viviana Vasquez comforts a participant at school Top right Behavioral specialist Sebastian Lavenant works with a attendee during class at Mi Escuelita The preschool has eight teachers two on-site therapists and a behavioral therapist on staff While therapists mainly focus on the mental wellbeing of a aspirant behavioral therapists center on examining their actions and conduct to see what may be triggering them Above Students wash their hands after a painting activity on April Various are students of color and come from low-income families Mi Escuelita offers mental wellbeing services to both students and their families since those relationships play a role in a child s advancement Photos by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters According to a fresh record parents of students enrolled at Mi Escuelita last year communicated having been involved in multiple domestic violence relationships Seventeen of them had to move or were homeless as a effect of domestic violence Evidence shows the project works A newest UC San Diego assessment identified of students at Mi Escuelita scored above average on the Kindergarten Readiness Test which evaluates a attendee s preparation for kindergarten An above-average number indicates a aspirant should need very little special attention and with no major learning difficulties Students attend Mi Escuelita at no cost and classes are offered year-round In return families agree to work with school administrators to address mental robustness issues head on We ask that our families understand our habitat It is so unique commented Mi Escuelita preschool director Lisa Klemp We really believe in that connection We want to endorsement not just our children but our family as a whole Lessons from nap time As a handful of students savored the last bites of their sandwiches carrots and applesauce during a latest lunch others prepared for their next activity They threw away trash grabbed blankets and lay on mats set throughout the classroom A few students grabbed stuffed animals or picked out books to keep them calm Teachers dimmed the lights and played a YouTube video of kittens purring as lullabies played softly Instructor Ismairy Caldera reads to a candidate to help them fall asleep during nap time Nap time can be particularly challenging for children who have experienced trauma as various of them remain on high alert and struggle to rest Photo by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters A attendee holds a stuffed animal during nap time at Mi Escuelita on May Photo by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters While preponderance students speedily fell asleep particular struggled to relax One girl refused to sleep and cried when notified she couldn t run around the classroom Teachers tried to help by offering to read her books or by blowing small bubbles but she wasn t having it Another girl lay very still with her eyes wide open looking straight at the ceiling She barely blinked and stayed this way for the majority of nap time before conclusively dozing off We do see that resting their bodies the calming can be challenging for particular of our kids Klemp explained I believe that they ve been in spaces or environments that may have caused them to be hyper-alert And so knowing that you re in a safe space that you can calm and relax your body is really crucial for several of them According to the National Survey of Children s Robustness of U S adults stated experiencing at least one so-called adverse childhood experience before age such as abuse witnessing violence or family separation Trauma can show up in different techniques Particular may become explosive in their behavior while others may be timid or seclude themselves Nap time in particular can be a challenge for younger children In general as a kid at night can be a scary place And then if you re hearing screaming if you re hearing someone slamming a door if you re hearing someone you know police showing up in your home it just really emphasizes that scary time Klemp declared Trauma in children can go untreated or be dismissed as normal behavior but its impacts can have a lasting effect that can lead to substance abuse eating disorders diabetes and heart affection according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Framework Early trauma can also increase the anticipated of being involved in the juvenile justice system and low academic performance Top Clinical Supervisor Angelina Puffelis and a participant play during a one-on-one therapy session on May Since it can be demanding for children to express their emotions Puffelis uses play therapy as a way to help her understand what a child might be experiencing Bottom left Puppets hang along a wall at Mi Escuelita on May Bottom right Puppet Wally sits with students during the school s graduation ceremony on June Puppets are used to act out scenarios that help students learn about different emotions and how they can interact with others Photos by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters At Mi Escuelita every scholar participates in individual therapy sessions with clinicians Therapy with a child can look different than a session with an adult Rather than sitting and talking about feelings therapists at Mi Escuelita play with the students and patiently look for clues or signs of deeper emotions Usually there is a theme and specific of the things that are common are protection safety empowerment or the superhero bad and evil Puffelis stated So as a therapist I look for that This is a continuum theme and if there s changes in the home conditions that theme plays out in play therapy In between those one-on-one sessions therapists lead small group sessions where they teach aspects of a undertaking called Incredible Years that helps students learn about feelings and how they can regulate them These sessions can involve pursuits such as reading books discussing different types of feelings or using puppets to act out a scenario that may help unlock emotions Wally a puppet with curly black hair is part of the initiative He has a special place in the school s annual graduation ceremonies Every year a member of the school staff holds the puppet so it can walk with the kids Therapist Spencer Mattox reads a book to students in a small group therapy session on May Photo by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters Generations of domestic violence Gibot has experienced domestic violence throughout her life Growing up she saw her parents and other family members deal with the same issues At Mi Escuelita Gibot benefitted from particular of the mental wellness services offered to families of students She received therapy and attended parent engagement meetings where she learned tips on how to assistance James such as using physical touch to regulate his body and using more words of affirmation to build his self-esteem Within six months Gibot began to notice improvements in his behavior She reported she wishes more schools were set up like Mi Escuelita to spare families red tape and having to deal with through a variety of specialists at different locations Ideally the norm should be like Mi Escuelita especially since there s so several kids who could benefit from it she reported Mentor Viviana Vasquez works with students during class at Mi Escuelita on April All staff at Mi Escuelita are required to complete a -hour training offered by SBCS to help equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to patronage survivors of domestic violence such as learning how it can affect children Photo by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters What happens after Mi Escuelita When students leave Mi Escuelita they enter school districts that may offer specific mental robustness services or intervention but usually not as hands-on as they are used to If a tutor or staff member believes a attendee may be dealing with mental health-related issues they can recommend that the novice see a school counselor or social worker From there school authorities can refer the family of the attendee to outside robustness providers offered by locality organizations or local county strength services Hilaria Bauer chief early learning services officer at the Bay Area nonprofit early learning organization Kidango disclosed other educators are beginning to embrace concepts from Mi Escuelita s approach especially after the COVID- pandemic As we came back to classrooms and to more regular types of sessions you begin to see how that isolation that trauma affected our families and the children she stated But building the unique learning conditions SBCS created at Mi Escuelita may be challenging to replicate It s such a wonderful idea and it s such a powerful idea I m assuming it s also a very expensive idea Bauer revealed Students participate in a graduation ceremony at Mi Escuelita in San Diego on June Photos by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters The cost of operating Mi Escuelita is million each year it s funded by a mix of local state and federal sources as well as private donors according to SBCS On top of funding Bauer says finding the right staffing is another hurdle to take into consideration For instance it can be complex to find teachers who have the required license to provide therapy in addition to having classroom experience Still Bauer says policymakers can benefit in the long run from implementing certain concepts offered at Mi Escuelita Research seems to back her assessment Another UC San Diego assessment which tracked the performance of students over several years indicated those who attended Mi Escuelita tended to tally at the same level or sometimes higher in math reading and writing compared to other students in the Chula Vista Elementary School District We can spend less later on intervention programs and alternative facilities Bauer revealed There will be less truancy less big behaviors or expulsions or alternative programs and all of those fix initiatives if we really focus on the time in the life of a child that really makes a change Students perform a song during a graduation ceremony at Mi Escuelita in San Diego on June Photo by Adriana Heldiz CalMatters James started kindergarten in August and celebrated his birthday in September He s doing well Gibot declared As he prepared for kindergarten Gibot revealed she worried about what might happen Klemp assured her that she and James would continue to receive encouragement from SBCS That made her feel more confident He s learned a lot and gained skills that I wish I was able to teach him But you know we both learned she explained James was one of the students who graduated from Mi Escuelita in May Gibot sitting with the rest of the attendees at the ceremony watched as her son performed songs with his fellow classmates cheered for his friends and received a small diploma It was just really emotional for me I m like Wow He s not scared He s not feeling all these different emotions she announced He just did it all by himself And just seeing that independence grow it s just beautiful This project story was produced jointly by CalMatters CatchLight as part of a mental strength initiative CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable