Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries

HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

In 1976, child abuse and neglect was a problem in Lane County.

Until a group of local leaders took a stand.

The women of the Junior League of Eugene joined with Lynn Frohnmayer and Mary Ellen Eiler of Child Protective Services and created the Lane County Relief Nursery, a private non-profit agency dedicated to supporting families and keeping children safe.

First United Methodist Church

At first, it was a small respite program with a handful of children

receiving services in borrowed space at four Eugene churches.

From 1976 to 1980 the Relief Nursery:• Became independent of Junior League support.• Closed briefly due to lack of community support.• Couldn’t establish credibility without progress evaluations.• Established the Board of Directors as a fundraising and

policysetting body.

• Created community outreach to educate the public about their services.

• Model gained credibility when National Research supported community based intervention.

AND THEN… IN 1980 – Relief Nursery incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

May 1984Jean Phelps was hired as Executive Director. With complete conviction in the mission of the Relief Nursery, Jean worked on a shoe-string budget using the trunk of her car as her office. As a result of Jean’s unwavering determination, the Relief Nursery model developed and flourished to the standard of excellence that we know today.

All Relief Nurseries Have…

• Public-private partnerships, which include both government funding and community donations.

• Program services based on family needs.• Therapeutic early childhood classrooms.• Parent education including monthly classes,

support groups, and mandated parenting classes.• Home visiting.• The flexibility to respond to different community

needs.

Relief Nursery Values

Being Visionary• Imagining that all at-risk children and families

haveaccess to Relief Nurseries.

Relief Nursery Values

Pushing Against Status Quo• Providing effective services regardless of

traditional thinking and acceptance.

Relief Nursery Values

Creating Stability and Sustaining Growth

• Developing new collaborations, securing ongoingfunding and replicating the Relief Nursery model.

Relief Nursery Values

Surviving Political Ebb and Flow• Strategically responding to social, political and

economic changes.

The Relief Nursery Grew

From a small respite program to a comprehensive child abuse prevention program during the 22 years of Jean Phelps’ leadership.

Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith S. Wiley highlighted the Relief Nursery as a successful program for providing skill training for parents of high-risk preschoolers in their book, Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence. (1997)

During Jean’s tenure, the Relief Nursery garnered regional and national

attention.

2. Ed Whitelaw, professor of economics at the University of Oregon, compared the direct and indirect costs of providing Relief Nursery services to an entire family ($3,000) to the direct costs of imprisoning an adult ($20,000 per year). (1997)

Attention Continued…

Relief Nursery, Inc. was listed one of five Oregon Programs Proven to Work in a cost-effectiveness study by the Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce Citizens Crime Commission. (2000)

Attention Continued…

Attention Continued…Relief Nursery, Inc. was recognized as an Innovative Program of Noteworthy Distinction by the United StatesOffice of Child Abuse and Neglect. (2003)

Attention Continued…Relief Nursery, Inc. was designated one of the 16 original U.S. Crisis Nursery Demonstration Projects.

Attention Continued…Relief Nursery, Inc. broadens financial base by seeking several sources of funding: Federal, State, City and County, United Way, USDA, foundation grants, and fundraising events.

Local Eugene business man, John Sheppard,led a successful $1.3 M capital campaign for a

Relief Nursery, Inc. building in 1993.

Relief Nursery, Inc. begins Replication…

1992 Portland – Relief Nursery established in Volunteers of America Portland. Relief Nursery, Inc. advocates and secures funding from Meyer Memorial Trust for replication.

1994 Cottage Grove – Family Relief Nursery established as a response to two brutal child abuse incidents in their community. Effort led by Rotary Club and Relief Nursery Inc. with federal funding through title XX.

Portland VOA Cottage Grove

Replication Continues…1997 Salem – Family Building Blocks provides services in

church basements until they move to Chelsea's Place on Lancaster Blvd.

2000 Roseburg – Family Development Center established using apre-existing children’s organization.

RoseburgSalem – Chelsea’s Place

Replication Continues…2000 Portland – Children’s Relief Nursery established as an

independent nonprofit primarily serving St. Johns district. This is the secondRelief Nursery in Portland.

2000 Bend – MountainStar Family Relief Nursery starts under the umbrella of a local non-profit, moves to the Educational Service District and becomes independent in 2003.

Portland

Bend

Replication Continues…

2006 Albany – Family Tree Relief Nursery opens with strong support from St. Anne’s Orthodox Church in Corvallis.

2006 Medford – Family Nurturing Center established as a community-based response to high rates of child abuse and neglect.

Albany Medford

2007 West Salem – Gracie’s Place opens in Polk County extendingFamily Building Blocks service area beyond Marion County intoa neighboring community.

2007 Pendleton – Pioneer Relief Nursery opens as the second viableRelief Nursery outside the I-5 corridor.

Replication Continues…

West Salem – Gracie’s Place Pendleton

Current Replications…2010 Ontario – Treasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery

formssupported by Treasure Valley Community College.

2010 Gladstone – Family Stepping Stones Relief Nursery opens in conjunction with Gladstone Center for Children and Familiesand local school district.

Ontario Gladstone

Current Replications…2010 Madras – Juniper Junction Relief Nursery started

using an existing children’s nonprofit – the Juniper Junction Community Council into a Relief Nursery.

2011 Corvallis – Oregon Legislature allocated funding for a Relief Nursery in Benton County. The Old Mill Center for Children & Families is currently preparing the application packet.

Madras Corvallis

Relief Nursery Replication in Oregon

Replication began with Relief Nursery, Inc. providing planning, strategic vision, financial and legislative support.

1995 to 1997 – Eugene and Portland (VOA) receives federal Title XX funding.

1998 – The State’s budget leaves out Relief Nurseries and the four existing Relief Nurseries (Eugene, Portland, Cottage Grove and Salem) join together and hire a lobbyist to restore funding.

Other Key Events forRelief Nurseries

Key Events Continued…

1999 – Legislature approves $2.6 million for the four existing Relief Nurseries and 3 replications (Roseburg, Portland and Bend).

1999 – Senate Bill 555 passes which established state funding for Relief Nurseries and included the requirement of a 25% cash match. Jean Phelps and Robin Karr Morse co-chaired committee and drafted legislation.

Key Events Continued…

2000 – Oregon Commission on Children and Families hires independent research firm to collect and analyze Relief Nursery data, and produce a statewide evaluation report. Reports continue to be produced every two years.

2001- 2003 – Relief Nurseries fight budget cuts during recession.

Key Events Continued…

2002 – Relief Nursery Directors began meeting on a regular basis thereby forming the Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries (OARN) for the purpose of strengthening Relief Nursery programs in Oregon.

2003 – Legislature appropriates $3.625 million for Nurseries which was reduced to $3.275 million after Measure 30 was defeated.

Key Events Continued…

2004 – Relief Nursery, Inc. receives grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to support the creation of Relief Nursery Training modules and development of Replication Manual by Dr. Lory Britain.

2005 – Legislature appropriates $3.065 million for existing Nurseries plus $350,000 to help start new Nurseries in Albany and Medford.

Key Events Continued…

2005 – Relief Nursery directors develop a funding formula based on the size of the existing program with a minimum grant for small programs and a maximum for large programs.

2006 – Oregon Administrative Rules passed defining essential elements for programs to receive Relief Nursery funding through the Commission on Children and Families.

Key Events Continued…

2007 – Operational by-laws adopted for OARN.

2009 – Oregon Social Learning Center was awarded a grant from the Federal Office of Child Abuse and Neglect of the Children’s Bureau to conduct a 3-year randomized controlled trial of the Relief Nursery, Inc. child and family outcomes.

Randomized controlled trials are widely considered the “gold standard” study in terms of determining outcomes related to an intervention program.

Positive outcomes from this study will benefit all Relief Nurseries.

Relief Nursery ModelGrowth and Improvement…

1. Community-based nonprofit organization.

2. Works closely and collaborates with existing community programs.

3. Core services includes therapeutic classroom for children, home visits, parenting classes, and basic needs support, i.e. clothing closet, diapers.

4. Mature programs include transportation for children, services for families with children on the waiting list (“outreach services”), and respite classes.

5. Optional services include court mandated parent education, supervised visitation, adult and child mental health, alcohol and drug peer support, remedial daycare, etc.

Oregon’s Investment in Relief Nurseries

1999-01 2001-03 2003-05 2005-07 2007-09$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

$2,000,000

$2,500,000

$3,000,000

$3,500,000

$4,000,000

$4,500,000

$5,000,000

Commission on Children & Families Funding

Leveraged Funding Success

1999-01 2001-03 2003-05 2005-07 2007-09$0

$2,000,000

$4,000,000

$6,000,000

$8,000,000

$10,000,000

$12,000,000

$14,000,000

Relief Nurseries Stretch State Dollars with Local Support

State Funds

Private Funds

Other

Cost Comparison

Relief Nursery, Inc.

The Relief Nursery, Inc. and replications of the Relief Nursery Model serve children and families in:

15 Oregon communities2 Texas communities

10 locations in Ukraine