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child and family services - safe haven north

A C3F Youth Needs grant helped Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan improve Safe Haven’s Harbor Springs office by building an Outdoor Oasis serving youth, children, and families. The grant funded much of the cost of the swing set, swings (including a toddler swing), and chin-up bar. They also purchased several small toys and balls that are stored in an easily accessible bin on the playground. Other playground pieces include a bench, child-sized picnic table, riding toy, youth and adult-sized picnic table, and painted chain-link fence with a wooden privacy fence on the side facing the road.

Most playground users are clients of Safe Haven North—families from Charlevoix, Emmet, and Cheboygan Counties who have been affected by domestic violence. When it is time for parents to exchange children for visitation, this space can provide an engaging outdoor location to enjoy. It also serves as a safe space for visits between children in foster care and their natural parents, which has increased the quality of visits, and added the wellness benefits of outdoor time. There is clear evidence that time in nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well-being. The more things can be kept positive during these visits, the less stress youths and children experience. Adults, too, do better when there is something that facilitates interaction with their child. Shooting hoops, hanging out at the picnic table, doing pull-ups, playing catch, and, for youngers, parents pushing swings and playing with outdoor toys with their children all fit this bill.