Goal 4 Healthy Kids
Family Tree Relief Nursery,
Therapeutic Early Childhood Program
Background Image: A boy plays with a marble run building set while a woman in a mask kneels in front of him.
Increase Services & Supports for Adolescents
Since its inception in 2004, the Family Tree Relief Nursery has helped thousands of Linn County children stay with their families by providing outreach, home visitations, alcohol and drug recovery support, parent education and a therapeutic early childhood classroom program.
This childhood program is the centerpiece of this nursery system which originated in Eugene in 1976. Since then, relief nurseries have sprouted up throughout Oregon. The nursery, which shares space at Albany’s Faith Lutheran Church, serves children from 2 to 5 years old providing a therapeutic classroom that has a ratio of 11children to three adult teachers. This allows the children one-on-one time with the staff along with supportive play times, snacks, lunch and activity time.
“It really helps with the social and emotional aspect in the classroom,” said Development Program Manager Morgan Sartin. “A lot of kids struggle to build those fundamentals at home with their parents. We really work with these kids to prepare them for the future and especially for public education, where they could be left behind.”
Samaritan Health Services has partnered Family Tree Relief Nursery for several years. In 2021, Samaritan awarded a Social Accountability grant to the Therapeutic Early Childhood Program to provide funding for one staff member. This person supports eleven preschoolers and their families in both Lebanon and Albany both in the classroom and monthly home visits.
“Throughout the last year of COVID, we offered activity bags and home activity ideas for the whole family as well as games to play outside and at the park,” said Executive Director Renee Smith. “
The program also helped families with diapers, personal hygiene products and supplemental food boxes.
“I know that’s a mission that we share with Samaritan in building a healthier and thriving community,” said Sartin. “Having the support of Samaritan Health Services means everything to us. We wouldn’t have been able to fund several positions in our classroom without them.”
Background image: A woman in a coat helps a student drop a in a marble run tower.
In 2021, Therapeutic Early Childhood Program:
- Samaritan funding paid for one staff member to support families with classroom and home visits.
- Funds also helped families with diapers, personal hygiene products and supplemental food boxes.
Background image: CHIR Hand in Hand Farm Roberts 308 BGC
Other Partners in Supporting Programs & Services for Healthy Kids, Past & Current
- ABC House.
- CASA of Benton County.
- Family Tree Relief Nursery.
- Hand in Hand Farm.
- Old Mill Center.
- Samaritan House.
- Sweet Home Pregnancy Care Center.