CHERISH™ 

“Children who are removed from their homes and placed into foster care due to abuse, neglect or abandonment, almost by definition have special needs.”   -State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network, June 2003

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, there are currently more than 400,000 children in the United States foster care system. These children often come from volatile and unstable beginnings, making them particularly vulnerable and in need of specialized care. Their foster families, parents, and relative caregivers also need unique support to help them navigate the child welfare system and provide the best care possible to children in their homes.

That is why Boyer is proud to offer CHERISH™ (Children Encouraged by Relationships in Secure Homes), a program created by our partners at Kindering that supports the social and emotional well-being of children involved in the foster system, as well as the needs of their caregivers and parents. CHERISH includes relationship-based counseling, developmental guidance, and ongoing support, and is provided at no cost.

Led by Boyer’s Social Worker and a Family Resources Coordinator, the program’s primary goal is to help develop bonds and create secure attachment relationships between the child, their caregivers, and the child’s parents. An “attachment relationship” is defined as a close, dependable relationship that provides a child with nurturance, security, responsive interaction, and encouragement of exploration to develop to their fullest potential.

Anticipated Program Impact:

• minimizing trauma, stabilizing placements, and facilitating healthy transitions when necessary.
• Deepening connections between children, caregivers, and parents.
• Developing the capacity of children to experience, regulate, and express emotions; form close and secure interpersonal relationships; and explore their environment and learn.
• Providing individualized support for caregivers and parents on critical issues as: forming secure relationships after change and loss; address challenging behaviors; and healing after traumatic experiences.

Would you like to make an investment in this critical program? Please contact Ellen Kuo, chief development officer, at (206) 325-8477 or email ellen.kuo@boyercc.org.