Late September, Arrow Child and Family Ministries’ Beaumont Office unveiled its new play therapy room to the public. The space is already proving to be a hallmark of change to the youth Arrow serves.
At the time of the unveiling, the room still needed decorating and final touches, but the most important pieces were in place. Throughout the room there were toys and therapeutic materials, it stood as a safe space for children to play, connect and begin to heal.
“When a child needed the space, we didn’t want to wait for everything to be perfect,” Arrow’s Director of Therapeutic Services, Angela Burciaga said.
One of the first children to use the room was an 8-year-old boy who recently entered foster care with his brother.
According to Burciaga, it became clear that the youth had endured horrific physical and sexual abuse, the boys experienced neglect far beyond what any child should ever have to withstand.
“For the 8-year-old, the world felt frightening, he struggled with extreme hypervigilance and startle responses, had difficulty sleeping, and would sometimes shut down when overwhelmed,” Burciaga said.
He and his brother needed a higher level of care. Thankfully, the children would soon transition to a home better prepared to meet their needs.
In the meantime, everyone stepped in.
Every facet of Arrow’s services, foster care, behavioral health services (BHS), clinical development, and therapeutic services worked together to help stabilize the boys and their caregivers.
BHS expedited services and prepared to support him as he started school for the first time.
“Clinical Development helped the caregivers navigate the impact of caring for children who had endured such profound trauma,” Burciaga said. “They provided guidance around school accommodations and routines that could increase his felt safety.”
This additional therapeutic support provided the caregivers with the opportunity to process the traumatic stories they were hearing from the children while continuing to provide stability and calm in the home.
Then there was the playroom.
He decided what to build, what to use and how the play unfolded.
“The playroom provided a place where he didn’t have to explain what happened to him, he could simply play,” Burciaga said. “He explored the toys and for a while he got to be the boss, for a child whose life likely included very little control, that experience was significant.”
Play gives children a language when words aren’t enough.
Play allows them to explore emotions, practice control and experience safety and connection in ways that feel manageable.
Arrow may not be the final destination in the young child’s journey, but that doesn’t make our role any less important.
“I am so grateful that we could give him a space to feel safe, have choices, and simply be a child, even if only for a short time,” Burciaga said. “I am so proud to be a part of an organization where everyone steps forward when a child needs help.”
Even while the aesthetics of the room weren’t finished, healing moments still took place.
Through Burciaga’s eyes, and this story, it’s clear that we don’t have to be the final stop in a child’s journey to make an important difference along the way.
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