The Nexus child development program is housed on campus in the Crystal Charity 
Children’s Center, which was built in 1999 with funding from the Crystal Charity Ball. Children, birth through age twelve, accompanying their mothers into treatment participate in various therapeutic and educational activities. Older children attend a local elementary school and participate in after-school programming provided by Nexus staff at the children’s center. Childcare is also provided to clients in the outpatient program at both the La Prada campus and the Lemmon location. The Nexus child development program is licensed by the state of Texas.
Goals
- Provide a holistic family treatment program
- Improve the parent/child bond
- Develop resilience in children
- Help children develop character and life skills while healing from the effects of the
addict parent
Activities
The staff creates a safe and structured environment for children while their mother’s are undergoing treatment. All children receive an individual assessment, participate in age-appropriate prevention/intervention programs and attend family education seminars. Collaborative relationships with local agencies including the Betty Ford Center Children’s Program, Rainbow Days, Foster Grandparents and A.R.T.S. for People provide developmentally appropriate programming. Children are given the opportunity to express their feelings about their mother’s dependency and to re-establish trust in the parent-child relationship. Kids leave Nexus with improved self-esteem and a better sense of stability and structure.
Betty Ford Center Children’s Program
The Betty Ford Center Children’s Program provides a three-day intensive therapeutic program for our children here at Nexus. Through art, games, group discussion and fun activities, children learn that they are not alone; there are other children and families who have similar experiences. Our mothers participate with their children the last day and often have the first opportunity to openly talk with their children about the family’s past experiences.
Rainbow Days
Rainbow Days provides children living in high-risk situations with the skills they need to overcome adversity and stay drug-free. They offer their curriculum once a week to the children at Nexus. Their award-winning model of prevention, Curriculum-Based Support Groups for Children and Youth, is based on proven educational practices and on the latest prevention research. Rainbow Days’ program helps us address the intergenerational issue of substance abuse with our younger clients.