Relief nurseries serve children ages 0 to 5. Our Children’s Relief Nursery (CRN) programs strengthen families and our community by providing therapeutic classrooms, in-home visits, parenting support, and other services.
All services are free and voluntary.
What do CRNs offer?
Our early childhood team creates a safe environment for young children to learn and grow. Your child will build skills through therapeutic activities that support healthy development.
Our specialists visit your family at home to provide:
- Family coaching and support
- Case management
- Developmental monitoring
- Follow-up on classroom learnings
- Referrals to other specialists or agencies
Parents and guardians often need time to take care of personal or family matters. Respite care provides a familiar place for your child to play and learn while you take a break.
Your child can participate in safe, therapeutic child care while you strengthen your parenting skills and connect to other parents and guardians.
Your family can receive a counseling referral from our LifeWorks NW team that specializes in young children.
Children who have experienced trauma receive special care from our program. Our team has specialized training to support young children and families exposed to trauma.
Referring providers
If you would like to refer a family to one of our Children's Relief Nursery programs, download our referral form and follow the instructions.
Hillsboro Main and Gladstone Children's Relief Nurseries
St. Johns Children's Relief Nursery
How does it work?
If you want your child to join a LifeWorks NW Children's Relief Nursery, the first step is to complete a referral form. Once received, our team will contact you to determine if your child is eligible.
Our focus
We emphasize safe and stable parent-child relationships.
Our services "wrap around" the family to lower parental stress. Some of the benefits of our program are:
- Stronger parenting skills and family bonds.
- Reduced child behavioral problems.
- Improved healthy development in young children.
By focusing on the wellbeing of young children together, we build families up. We focus our work on the early childhood years to make the greatest impact.
90%
At least 90% of children enrolled in a Children's Relief Nursery can remain safely living with their parents.
LifeWorks NW Children's Relief Nurseries
St Johns
Gladstone
Hillsboro Main St.
Stories from our Children's Relief Nurseries
Legacy Health supports childhood nutrition
Child abuse prevention is at the heart of Children’s Relief Nurseries
Client story: Children’s Relief Nursery helps rebuild parenting confidence
Other LifeWorks NW prevention programs
The TTSD Care Coordination Team supports students and their families to assess behavioral health needs and connect to appropriate services.
Availability: The program is available to enrolled TTSD students
Requirements: Referrals made at the request of a family member or a TTSD staff person
Contact: Your child's school counselor or principal
Aimed at assisting young people experiencing homelessness, exiting from the foster care system and/or residential treatment, and individuals who identify with the LGBTQ community.
STRIDE (Strengthening Tools to Recovery, Independence, Determination, and Empowerment) helps identify goals and connect to community resources to help overcome barriers and improve wellbeing.
Availability: Provides outreach and engagement to individuals ages 14-24, regardless of insurance, income, or medical/treatment history.
Service Locations: Services are community-based, Monday through Saturday, and offered in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties.
Contact: Referrals can be made by calling 503-619-9007 or email STRIDE@lifeworksnw.org.
Dedicated to eliminating childhood trauma, abuse and neglect by building stable and attached families with children birth to five years old—the Children's Relief Nursery model includes therapeutic classrooms; home visiting; respite services; and parenting classes.
Early childhood mental health services, using child-parent psychotherapy, are also available. With locations in St. Johns in North Portland, Gladstone, and Hillsboro, we are open to families with children from birth to five years old, who are at high risk for abuse or neglect.
Contact us:
Gladstone & Hillsboro-Main St. - Denise Glascock: 503-713-9921
St. Johns - Leslie Brown: 503-459-2285
Our Healthy Families Program promotes healthy childhood growth and development, supports positive parent-child relationships and helps families access community resources.
This free and voluntary program is available to eligible Washington County parents prenatally, or at birth, through infancy and early childhood (0-3 years). Services are offered in-home (or other convenient meeting places), where trained staff provide extra support with day-to-day parenting challenges, information about child development, demonstrate fun and educational parent-child activities, answer questions about parenting concerns and assist to help develop a solid family plan.
Availability: Must be referred through Washington County Early Connections (503-726-0879). Click here to access Washington County's application form.
For more information, contact:
- Beaverton: 503-627-9194 ext. 3935
- Hillsboro: 503-597-6089 ext. 4978
These smaller parenting support groups provide parenting classes that include:
- Active Parenting
- Triple P
- Make Parenting a Pleasure
- Abriendo Puertas.
Locations: Washington and Clackamas counties.
Contact us about services: 503-627-9194, ext. 3727.
This program for families with youth ages 10 -14 living in Washington or Clackamas counties includes highly interactive sessions that include role-playing, discussions, learning games, and family projects.
Parents and youth meet in separate groups for the first hour and together as families during the second hour to practice skills, play games and do family projects. Classes are offered in Spanish and in English and are presented over an eight to 10 week period with dinner and childcare provided.
Contact: 503-627-9194, ext. 3727.
This program supports Latinx families in Washington County with children ages birth to 12 by helping parents strengthen parenting skills and/or connecting them to community resources.
Contact: Families can self-refer or community partners can refer by calling 503-887-9149.
By providing access to community resources, coaching about child or household management or advocacy, this voluntary, short-term program offers home and community-based services to help families increase their ability to support their children's healthy development.
Requirements: Families need to be receiving a TANF grant to receive services.
Contact us for services: 971-201-2266
By providing access to community resources, coaching about child or household management or advocacy, this voluntary, short-term program offers home and community-based services to help families increase their ability to support their children's healthy development.
Contact us for services: 503-819-6222
Prevention programs support the healthy development of children, youth, families and communities. As a state leader in developing prevention programs, we focus on supporting positive parent, child and adolescent behaviors.
With an array of programs, offered in homes, in the community and in schools, we’re able to support healthy parenting, school success, early literacy, juvenile crime prevention, substance abuse prevention and healthy life skills development.
No. However, since many of our programs do not charge fees, we may still be able to help. Please contact us at 503-645-9010 to find out what programs are available to you.
Yes. Our staff speaks multiple languages and represent a multitude of races and heritages, reflective of the diverse communities we serve.
We value and strive to create an environment that is welcoming, respectful and inclusive for all. This is evidenced by our Safe Zone signs, which greet all that walk through our doors and message that no matter how you may identify as an individual, you are safe and welcomed.
Each staff person is also tasked with ongoing training to ensure that every individual is approached with cultural humility and cultural responsiveness.
Prevention Resources
