NCJ Number
158189
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1995) Pages: 1379-1386
Date Published
1995
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Twenty-four children attended a therapeutic preschool for physically and sexually abused children, the Kempe Early Childhood Education Project Serving Abused Families (KEEPSAFE) in Denver over a 3-year period from 1985-88.
Abstract
The program provided early education and therapy for abused children so that they could improve developmentally, socially, and emotionally. The goal was for the children to be able to enter the public schools. The therapeutic preschool was combined with a home visiting program for the child's parents or main caretaker, focusing on improving the quality of interaction between the adult and child. The majority of children made developmental gains at a faster rate than would normally be expected as measured by the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The children had all been sexually abused, physically abused, or both when they enrolled. Most were referred by county departments of social services. Although all 24 children were thought at the onset of the intervention to be unable to take part in a public school setting, after 12 months in the program more than 79 percent were placed in public schools. Eight went into regular classrooms. Three others needed residential care, and two were too young to enter public school. The results indicated that although a therapeutic preschool is expensive in terms of the ratio of staff to children needed, it is likely to be beneficial in improving the developmental skills of abused children. Table and 24 references (Author abstract modified)