Illustration by Ally Hodges
People used to say that young children exposed to trauma would eventually forget about it and be fine. When Kathy Ryan, the clinical coordinator of the Greater Richmond Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) Circle Preschool Program, was attending college about 40 years ago, that was the prevailing wisdom.
But today, Ryan notes, experts are aware that even a child as young as 1 or 2 who witnesses a traumatic event is likely to experience developmental difficulties and behavioral problems within the next couple of years — and that the psychological, emotional and physical damage can be greater at that age than any other.
That’s where SCAN’s Circle Preschool Program comes in. Children ages 3 to 6 who were abused or affected by domestic violence attend the preschool, housed in St. James’s Episcopal Church on Franklin Street. With the support of educators trained in dealing with toxic stress, these children learn how to trust adults, socialize with other kids and express emotion in productive ways. The program’s staff members also work intensively with families and caregivers, providing therapy and training.
According to Virginia’s Child Protective Services, 431 reports of abuse against children (including infants exposed to substances) were confirmed in Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico during fiscal year 2017. In a report covering the previous year, just over a third of children involved in incidents of abuse statewide were 4 years old or younger. Using that age breakdown, there would have been about 144 preschool-age children affected by abuse in the Richmond region last year.
“Many caregivers have had early trauma themselves,” Ryan says. “We help the families rewire and reestablish good behavior.”
Most families and children stay in the Circle Preschool Program for two years, enough time to make some headway toward healthy development. Staff members also train public school teachers in trauma-focused best practices, such as not reacting dramatically or harshly when a child behaves badly, and building skills upon a child’s existing strengths.
Before the program’s start in February 2011, Virginia had never had a preschool tailored to the needs of children suffering from trauma, Ryan says. The goal of Circle Preschool, she adds, is to “provide a setting for children who have experienced severe toxic stress that affects their behavior.” Some children act aggressively and can’t handle ordinary stress that a healthy child could, while others tend to dissociate and appear zoned out. Many may behave both ways.
Dr. Aradhana “Bela” Sood, chairwoman of VCU Health’s Division of Child Psychiatry, says that neglect is more common than active abuse, and that “fraying family structures,” economic stress and drug abuse are all potential catalysts of household trauma. “It gets to be a perfect storm in which abuse can occur.”
Sustained trauma can affect the immune system and the cardiovascular and digestive systems, Ryan says, with asthma presenting a particular risk. Children also lose sleep because they’re on high alert, watching out for danger, and they may have difficulty with gross motor skills, including balance. Some show symptoms that are often associated with autism, such as aversion to bright lights and loud sounds.
Some children at Circle Preschool have been expelled from other preschools for aggressive behavior. Ryan says that this has become more common in the region and across the country, according to an investigation by SCAN and Leadership Metro Richmond. Data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health revealed that approximately 250 preschoolers nationwide were suspended or expelled each day, and African-American boys were more likely to be punished than other children, according to an analysis by the nonprofit Center for American Progress.
Sood, who has treated local children for 30 years, says that there’s greater understanding of trauma and its treatment today than when she started her practice, but preschool expulsion rates are an indication that gaps remain. Preschools often are more focused on preparing children academically for kindergarten than on nurturing and treating toxic stress, she adds. “You have to have leadership that understands child development. Social and emotional development are just as important as academics.”
Often, Ryan says, when children come to Circle Preschool, “they carry this invisible suitcase of negative perceptions. They’re convinced they’re bad.” Even for young children, the stigma of openly talking about trauma is intimidating.
At St. James’s, which agreed to provide space to SCAN near its own preschool classes, the Circle Preschool Program has an enrollment cap of eight children, with a staff-to-child ratio of 2-to-1. Families pay according to a sliding scale, with free tuition available for those who qualify. As a nonprofit organization, Greater Richmond SCAN depends on donations and grants.
The program focuses on play-based learning and developing relationships with other children and adults. In January, Circle Preschool opened a room filled with bean bags, gym mats, a small tent and a rocking chair — sort of a “crash pad” for children when they feel overwhelmed.
The program has worked with 32 children since 2011, and many family members have reported back to Ryan and her staff that the children are succeeding in school. That’s not to say that everything is perfect, Ryan says, but they have more tools to deal with stress than they did before.
To find out more about Greater Richmond SCAN and its services, visit grscan.com.
