CHILDRENS BEACH HOUSE INC

Our mission is to help children with communicative disabilities and other special needs to be successful in life, and to reach their highest potential while becoming contributing members of their families and communities

Through broad community-wide social networks, language-rich environments, services and positive relationships our programs support the healthy development of every child. Our goal is to help break down the barriers to success and expand opportunities for children with disabilities, thus advancing a more diverse and inclusive community. We do this through two programs:

1) The Youth Development Program (YDP) helps children (ages 7-18 years old) with special needs overcome the challenges presented by their disabilities and to further the development of pro¬social skills that will guide them away from risky behavior. Program outcomes include helping children and youth feel safe and supported; increasing self-confidence and positive self-identity; fostering resiliency and a positive outlook for the future; developing social skills necessary for effective relationships in their peer groups and families; helping families to access adequate resources, teaching parents to advocate effectively for their children; and to encourage engagement with new challenges as opportunities.

2) Our Child Development Center Preschool (CDC) serves 3 and 4 -year olds with developmental challenges due to speech, hearing and language delays/disabilities and who are further disadvantaged by living in poverty. The program's objective is to help young children excel in language and cognitive learning and develop the fundamental skills necessary for success in Kindergarten and beyond.

Youth Development Program (YDP) participants are children between the ages of 7 and 18, with communicative disabilities who are further disadvantaged by living in poverty. Their home and school environments also pose additional risks because of fractured family structure, incarceration, living in foster homes, abuse, or addictions, causing them to be 44% more likely to engage in high risk behavior such as alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, and violence. They are prime candidates for abuse and bullying. Growing up becomes a difficult experience, and one which often inhibits the children's ability to develop.
YDP program components consist of year-round comprehensive case management, weekend enrichment and summer residential camping experiences designed to support cognitive, academic, social, and interpersonal development. The program offers safe environments with a range of positive attributes and activities that together promote healthy development. By focusing on their individual strengths, children can achieve their fullest potential.
With so much happening inside young minds, children’s earliest relationships with adults—at home, in child care, in the community—shape their course. When a family’s day-to-day life is consumed by the stressors and hardship associated with poverty, these early relationships suffer, putting children at a major disadvantage from the start. Missing this key developmental window means children who start behind their peers—cognitively, emotionally, and socially—often stay behind; many never catch up.
YDP increases a child's success in forming relationships with their peer groups, as well as with competent, caring non-parental adults. Research has shown that these are the two most effective factors in reducing risks and fostering resiliency in children and youth.

The Child Development Center (CDC) provides pre-school and support services for at-risk children with special needs who are further disadvantaged by living in poverty. The preschool is designed to help young children excel in language and cognitive learning and develop the fundamental skills necessary for success in CDC’s classroom environment exposes children to high quality language in varying forms. Language acquisition and its use are at the core of all the reading, writing, and communication we expect of our students. Exposure to language is meaningful, deliberate, repetitive and engaging and directly involves the students as active participants.
The Early Childhood Curriculum is research based, child focused and uses "active participatory learning" to achieve powerful, positive outcomes. The Curriculum helps young children excel in language and cognitive learning.
Children's beach House's program services help break down the barriers to success and expand opportunities for children with disabilities, thus advancing a more diverse and inclusive community.

The Children’s Beach House (CBH) mission is to help children with communicative disabilities be successful in life. To help them reach their highest potential as contributing members of their families and communities.

CBH was founded in 1937 by Lydia Chichester du Pont as a place where children with special needs could benefit from the healing qualities of the coastal environment. Since its very start, CBH has met the changing needs of Delaware’s children with special needs.

In the 1970’s the agency turned its focus toward children with severe learning disorders. And in 2005 our Youth Development Program (YDP) was established to address the specific developmental needs of children with communicative disorders - speech, hearing and language processing and impairments. Our program transitioned to a year-round initiative focused on positive youth development. The YDP includes comprehensive case management, mentoring, and weekend enrichment and summer camping programs

In 2015, CBH opened The Child Development Center (Pre-school) to work with at-risk children, ages 3 and 4, with developmental delays at an earlier age. The Center provides preventative support to children who are identified to be at risk thus eliminating the need for intervention later on – or shortening the duration of later interventions.

Our programs are of critical importance to the development and future of our children and communities. CBH fund-raising efforts are focused on two priority objectives that, in tandem, promote the growth and sustainability of the agency.

In support of the annual operating budget, fundraising activities are expected to meet and exceed revenue operating objectives to ensure annual delivery of our mission programs, to fund operations, and to invest any surplus in established endowment funds.
To ensure long-term sustainability, a Strategic Plan has been developed and implemented which identifies strategies to secure funding for CBH’s Operating and Building Endowments. The expected outcome of these strategies is sustainability through endowment funding.

The work of CBH is long-term. Stability is vital to ensure the agency can plan and execute its programs over time. The growth of our endowment funds will provide the sustainability necessary for mission delivery and growth in perpetuity.

Testimonies:
"Children’s Beach House has been a huge part of my life. There, I learned to realize my talents and believe in myself. Now I’m the first in my family to go to college. I’m studying to become a teacher so I can share the lessons I’ve learned.”
-Kathleen, Former YDP participant

“The Youth Development Program helped my son learn life skills and self-confidence. He felt safe to make new friends, experience new things, to be himself and not be judged. We’re thankful for what CBH has done for him.”
-Mother of YDP participant

Preschoolers in our program have demonstrated a 25.5% growth in overall development across all key indicators.
- Participating 4-year old preschoolers in our CDC program have had a 33% increase in developmental progression. Additionally, for children transitioning to kindergarten, school readiness is measured by an average score of 3.75 in each category and an overall average of 4.0 and higher (Scale of 1-5). CDC’s 4-year old participants scored an overall average of 4.26, reflecting their readiness to move on to area Kindergarten classes.
- Participating 3-year old children have experienced a 17% increase in development and are expected to show significant improvement as they move to the 4-year old class and prepare for Kindergarten.
- The Child Development Center program helps promote healthy development, reduces the need for special education during subsequent school years, improves academic performance, increases high school graduation rates and ultimately helps children to be their best selves today and throughout their lives, regardless of their circumstances.

We have seen the following successes in our YDP program as measured by evidence-based standardized tools, parent and participant surveys and Individualized Participant Reports :
- 5% improvement in program participants’ sense of belonging.
- Improved their ability to cope with, and respond successfully to, various life stressors.
- 42% of the established individual participant goals were achieved.
- 84% of parent respondents reported that since participating in the program, they have a better understanding of their child and their child’s needs.
- 92% of parent respondents felt their child was successful in forming new relationships and friendships in the program.
- 86% of parent respondents felt their child gained new skills and knowledge through the Youth Development Program (YDP).
- 88% of parent respondents reported that since participating in the program, they are more self-confident and resilient with a positive outlook for the future.
- 98% of the program participants felt safe, respected, valued and appreciated while participating in YDP.
- 88% of the participants reported that they learned new skills and felt safe trying new things at YDP.
- 91% of the participants became active participants in their peer group and developed the social skills necessary to develop friendships.
- Of the program participants who continue the program through High School, 100% graduate in four years. (This is measured against Delaware’s average for 1) all students (85%), 2) Low-income families (75%), and 3) Special education students (66%)).