The Compass Center announces Little Navigators Program to prevent and treat trauma in preschool.

Share

The Compass Center receives grants from the Bush Foundation and City of Sioux Falls to initiate this one-of-a-kind program.

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota – The Compass Center has announced the launch of its Little Navigators Program, a new initiative to prevent and treat trauma in preschool-age children.

Together with EmBe and other community providers, The Compass Center will provide therapeutic intervention to children and their families. By stationing a therapist in the childcare setting, this program focuses on eliminating barriers for families and children to receive essential support.

The current need to prevent and provide treatment for family, sexual, and relationship violence is especially large in South Dakota. Of those experiencing sexual violence in the state, over 40% are under the age of 18. The Little Navigators Program ensures those with the highest needs get the resources they need.

“All too often, we hear of traumatized children who are asked to leave their childcare setting due to behavioral needs. This is a heartbreaking choice for childcare providers and for the family,” said Michelle Trent, Executive Director of TCC. “By providing mental health support in the childcare setting, we can provide early intervention to reduce risks of victimization and provide healing for our children who have already been victimized. Reducing barriers for families to access services not only helps the children who need those services but the community at large.”

Fueling the launch of this program are two substantial grants provided by the City of Sioux Falls and The Bush Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Minnesota.

“The Bush Foundation sees great potential for the Compass Center’s Little Navigators Empowerment Program to have a transformational impact on children, families, and childcare providers,” said Margaret Arzdorf-Schubbe, Consultant with The Bush Foundation. “By building a network of support within childcare centers, The Compass Center and its partners will help promote healthy social development and prevent child abuse for young children who have experienced trauma.”
“We’re thrilled to use these grants totaling over $900 thousand from the Bush Foundation and the City of Sioux Falls to fund the initial creation and implementation of the Little Navigators Program,” Trent summarizes. “As we look to the future, we will continue to work with our community partners to maintain and grow this program to meet our community’s needs.”

About The Compass Center
The Compass Center (TCC) is a non-profit organization serving the four-county area of Minnehaha, Lincoln, McCook, and Turner. TCC provides free counseling to primary and secondary survivors of family, sexual, and relationship trauma. It offers child therapy to victims ages 3-12 and individual and group counseling to adolescent and adult survivors. The agency provides a 24/7 rape crisis line and responds to sexual assault survivors who report to the ER. It also provides community education and prevention programs.

About the Bush Foundation
The Bush Foundation was created in 1953 by Archibald Granville Bush an American businessman primarily involved with 3M and his wife, Edyth Bassler Bush. The organization awards $40 million a year to philanthropic organizations, primarily located in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest.