 Our
Little Haven is a residential home for
children aged 0-7 years. The children that come to Our Little Haven are wards of
the State and are placed there to receive therapy and counseling for abuse neglect
and pre-natal drug exposure.
All of the children have been removed from the custody
of their parents and are in a difficult transition. Many of the children at Our
Little Haven have very special needs, which is probably the biggest challenge for their
staff. Each house parent (there is one for ever four children) must learn the
children's behavior and appropriately address each child's individual needs, so as to give
them the very best nurturing and structure they need
 The average stay for a child at Our Little Haven is nine months -
but within that average is a great variance. For example, the babies usually stay
for very short periods, while the older kids tend to stay for much longer - some for a
couple of years. This, of course, is due to the more difficult placement of older
children into pre-adoptive families.
Our Little Haven is licensed to care for 40 kids, but
usually houses 36-38 at any one time. The children receive proper nutrition with
the product Our Little Haven receives from the St. Louis Area Foodbank, counseling and
structure. The staff also schedules any kind of therapy that a child might need,
such as physical, occupational, or speech.
 The organization offers programs to help broken families reunite as well
as helping kids transition into the best foster care situation possible. "That
is the most rewarding experience for staff at Our Little Haven," says Mary Crook,
spokesperson. "To either see a family learn how to be a family again and
reunite, or to place a child in a foster care environment where they will be safe and
taken care of," concluded Crook.
Our Little Haven provides a safe, nurturing environment
to our most vulnerable population. If you would like to volunteer or help Our Little
Haven, please contact Mary Crook at (314) 533-2229, ext. 201 or visit their web site by
clicking here.
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