Childhaven opens Lake City facility

The youngest victims of abuse and neglect have a new facility serving their needs.

Childhaven, which operates therapeutic child care as well as programs for drug-affected infants, will open its fourth facility today, in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood. A staff of 15 will oversee care of up to 34 children, ages 1 month to 5 years old, who have largely been referred by Child Protective Services.

"If you think of the motels along Aurora [Avenue North] and on through the county line, there are a number of pockets up north that have areas of need," said Jon Flora, Childhaven's chief executive officer. Childhaven also operates facilities in Seattle, Auburn and Burien that serve up to 267 children.

The Lake City branch, located in the 2400 block of Northeast 95th Street, was the result of fortuitous circumstances, agency officials note. Another agency, Ryther Child Center, which works with older abused children as well as chemically addicted and severely emotionally disturbed older youths, had an empty 6,000-square-foot building on its Northeast 95th Street campus.

Ryther executive director Lee Grogg was introduced to Flora last year. They chatted about a preschool program that Ryther couldn't sustain.

Flora asked about the building, and Childhaven agreed to lease it from Ryther. The agency spent about $150,000 to renovate the building and expects the annual cost of running its program, which will be independent of Ryther, to be about $800,000.

Childhaven, a nonprofit agency, has been caring for children for nearly 30 years. The Lake City branch will continue what Childhaven is best known for: care and treatment for abused and neglected children as well as parenting classes and other services for parents. The facility will include four classrooms, an on-site cook and vans to transport the children to and from home.

Childhaven Lake City will open today with six children, including a few transferring from the Seattle branch.

The number of child-neglect allegations reported to the state Department of Social and Health Services more than doubled from 17,336 in 1988 to 40,127 in 2000.

Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916