Amy Swan, an interventionist at MountainStar Family Relief Nursery, talks to attendees about a light table for kids inside the classroom of the new MountainStar facility during a grand-opening and ribbon-cutting event on Thursday in La Pine. The new facility in La Pine is the organization’s fifth location in Central Oregon and first in La Pine. 

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is opening its fifth location in La Pine. After over six years of providing outreach services, staff will be able to reach La Pine children and families directly.

The nursery supports families and children through age 5, with a goal of reducing child neglect and abuse in Central Oregon. It has been operating for 22 years, and has locations in Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras and now La Pine. It also has outreach services in Warm Springs.

Nearly half of child abuse victims in the area are under age 6, said Staley Micken, the nursery’s development director.

“We really believe that every child in our community deserves the best start possible, and we also know that parenting, even in the best of circumstances, can be really hard,” said Micken.

Parenting with high stressors

The new center, which will be fully open in the spring, will have two therapeutic classrooms for kids, and has been in the works for over a year, said officials.

The Deschutes County Commission began the process by informing the nonprofit of available American Rescue Plan Act funding, and the nursery was accepted for funding, said Micken. That funding jump-started the creation of the La Pine location.

Other supporters helped find the rest of the funding, and community partners and contractors also pitched in.

The nonprofit provides services to families who are dealing with high stressors and have young kids. Those services include parenting classes, basic needs, therapy, crisis intervention and home visits.

When young children experience chaos at home, it directly affects their development, said Micken. Kids are most vulnerable when parents are dealing with major stressors like extreme poverty, housing and food insecurity, mental health issues, incarceration and domestic violence, among others.

“When families are in those places, it’s really hard to be the parent that they want to be,” said Micken.

She said MountainStar Family Relief Nursery is in the business of relationships, and that staff members are compassionate and nonjudgmental when working with families.

Identifying emotions

Kids at MountainStar spend time in the therapeutic classrooms, where they focus on learning how to identify their own emotions, process their emotions in a safe place and create healthy relationships. Each classroom has a feelings chart, and kids can place photos of themselves next to what emotion they’re feeling at that time.

Home visits help staff form relationships with parents and caregivers, and allow staff to customize the services children get by seeing their living situations, said Micken. Nurturing the relationship between the parent and the child is another important element of the nursery’s work.

“It’s really beautiful when we can be there and see those changes happening, when we can be in a classroom and see that brightness in a child’s face, wanting to be seen, and wanting to be encouraged and excited for what they’ve learned and what they’re doing,” she said.

MountainStar Family Relief Nursery staff also focus on helping parents overcome barriers to resources by filling out paperwork, making calls, and even going to meetings with them if necessary.

Staff members encourage group play, especially for kids who might not have much experience socializing with other kids. It’s a “huge win” when a quieter child branches out, she said.

Micken said changing the trajectory of a child’s life is what keeps her motivated.

“We want to continue to be a long-term resource to La Pine families with young kids,” she said. “We’ve been in La Pine for a long time, so this is kind of that next step and doubling down on our commitment, bolstering our resources and (we’re) really excited to be a consistent resource for families moving forward.”