Caterpillars Clubhouse
YWCA Helena’s Caterpillars Clubhouse opened in March of 2022 serving children in our community needing therapeutic, trauma-informed childcare.
Therapeutic childcare provides a foundation for children to learn, socialize, and develop in a supportive environment with specialized programming and professional staff.
The Clubhouse staff is trained in early intervention for children who have developmental delays. Onsite children's mental health specialists help children and parents to develop healthy and secure attachment. The Clubhouse also provides onsite physical, speech, occupational, and attempts to work with other providers to come to the child in their safe environment enabling the child to experience safety and health.
Who is eligible?
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Children who have mothers enrolled in YWCA Helena’s WINGS program
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Children living at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Line
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Children with current or experience with out-of-home placement or CPS involvement
Children that have endured trauma are at an increased risk
of developing childhood traumatic stress.
Children with traumatic stress may experience intense emotional upset, depression or anxiety, severe behavioral changes, attention difficulties, and problems with eating or sleeping. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can create changes and outcomes such as disrupted neurodevelopment, social emotional, and cognitive impairments, adoption of health risk behaviors, disease, disability, and social problems, and early death.
During early childhood, the brain develops a foundation for lifelong health and wellbeing. A child's developing brain is most flexible during the earliest months and years of life, making intervention to mitigate the effects of traumatic experiences more likely to develop a resilient child in the face of traumatic experiences.