An organization aimed at helping kids in need is set to start operations in Madras after being in the works for more than two years.

The new Juniper Junction Relief Nursery, slated to open in January, will offer assistance to needy families to help prevent child abuse. The new nursery will function much like MountainStar Family Relief Nursery in Bend.

The organization is designed to assist families with children ages birth to 5. The infants and toddlers will spend a few hours each week in a therapeutic classroom, while staff members also work to provide assistance and outreach to parents.

Families that work with Juniper Junction will possess multiple risk factors that put children at risk for child abuse, including poverty, drug or alcohol use, family history of abuse, unemployment and so on. Families involved in MountainStar typically have an average of 20 such risk factors.

Tryna Muilenburg, the program manager for the Jefferson County Commission on Children and Families, said organizers wanted to start a relief nursery as a response to the county’s high rate of child abuse. Jefferson County had 185 confirmed cases of child abuse between 2003 and 2007 and, of those, more than half involved children ages 5 or younger.

The organizers saw a relief nursery option as a good way to prevent child abuse.

“It focuses on and targets the most at-risk families,” said Muilenburg. “It’s focused on the parents who really need it.”

Relief nurseries are also credited with helping keep families together and kids out of foster care.

Juniper Junction will start fairly small, with about eight families or so, according to Muilenburg.

The nursery will be located at the Oregon Child Development Coalition’s building in Madras. The OCDC serves migrant families from the facility and had classroom space available for the nursery, according to Muilenburg. The OCDC will also provide staffing.

Organizers are still trying to raise additional funds for the nursery. Organizer Bud Beamer, an emergency room doctor, says the group has about $58,000 now, but would like to have $80,000 before starting. A Freeze Your Fanny Fundraiser on Dec. 27 (see “If you go”) is planned to help raise money. The event will include a fun run/walk and a chili feed. The group is also applying for additional grants. The relief nursery, however, will open in January whether or not the organization has met the fundraising goal, according to Beamer.

While the down economy makes fundraising tough, it also makes the problem greater, according to Beamer.

“It’s needed more now than ever because of the stress.”

Based on new brain research, Beamer believes the relief nursery model is logical.

“I see the importance of early intervention.”

The relief nursery board has worked in partnership with the Commission on Children and Families to help make Juniper Junction happen, according to Muilenburg. She hopes to see the relief nursery efforts expand, eventually establishing services in Warm Springs.

If you go

To contribute

What: Freeze Your Fanny Fundraiser for Juniper Junction Relief Nursery; event includes a 1-mile or 5K run/walk and a chili feed

When: 11 a.m. Dec. 27

Where: United Methodist Church, 49 N.E. 12th St., Madras

Cost: Donations requested

Contact: 541-948-3321

Donations can also be sent directly to the relief nursery at: Juniper Junction Relief Nursery, P.O. Box 940, Madras, OR 97741

Contact: 541-948-3321