Successful nurturing in residential treatment for abused children

Both parents and children need a high potency nurturing program to develop trust. They must experience a dependent, close relationship to form basic trust. There is no other way to heal the scars of past abuse and insure healthy relationships with others. With proper nurturing, self-esteem is raised and feelings of power, self-control and long-needed security follow. Nurturing can be done successfully in residential treatment for children and out-patient treatment of parents. Selection of academically qualified, emotionally mature and caring staff members is the major factor affecting success. Myriad therapies fail for abused children and families when the vital basic need for nurturance is not filled. Without forming basic trust, the completion of this early developmental task, behavior gains will be short-lived and subsequent emotional problems result. Emotional involvement and commitment from therapists is necessary for the kind of nurturing process that promotes growth and healing. This involvement brings rich rewards to both client and therapist. The younger the children and parents are at the time of treatment, the greater is the potential for success. The program described in this paper illustrates how children can be reunited successfully with their families after a period of residential treatment for the children if the families are similiariy treated.