General Information:
The Zero to Three program is an infant and toddler court built on research that shows healthy secure attachments to caregivers helps produce healthy infant/toddler brain development that is the building block for all subsequent cognitive and emotional growth.
Zero to Three helps children between birth and 5 years old who were removed from their families due to parental addiction, family violence, and other issues threatening their health and safety. And Zero to Three helps parents who want help overcoming the very struggles that have led to their involvement with child protective services.
As an infant and toddler court, Zero to Three takes a relational approach to child welfare. The program offers parents an opportunity to attach successfully with their children through an evidence-based combination of professional services provided through:
- Court oversight
- Child protection/case management
- Child-centered family support
- Mental health therapy
- Addiction treatment
The Zero to Three Infant and Toddler Court team includes:
- Coos Circuit Court Judge
- DHS Child Welfare Case Manager
- Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
- Mental Health Counselor, Coos County Mental Health
- Drug and Alcohol Counselor, ADAPT
- Maternal Child Health Home Visiting Program Staff, Coos County Public Health Department
- Infant and Toddler Court Team Coordinator, Coos Circuit Court
- Attorneys who provide counsel for parents and their children
Brain Development
The first three years of a person’s life are a time of significant brain development. Experiences during these first three years determine just HOW the brain will grow. Negative experiences such as domestic violence, parental addiction, abuse and neglect can lead to long-term developmental issues. Positive experiences help shape a brain that is prepared to learn, handle stress and overcome obstacles. Zero to Three helps parents connect with their children, to learn cues and understand their child’s needs, and most importantly, helps children connect with caregivers who are stable and ready to parents.
In Zero to Three, children receive:
- Child-centered DHS case plan
- Therapeutic family visitation (between parent and child)
- Mental Health and parent-child dyad therapy
How It Works
Involvement in Babies Can’t Wait is voluntary. Involvement in the dependency system is not. The Zero to Three program takes approximately 12 months to complete. Once accepted, the team expects participants to follow certain guidelines including: monthly court attendance; attendance at all addiction treatment and parenting support program appointments and personal accountability.
Zero to Three provides a structured approach to dependency court involvement by merging child welfare, addiction and family support systems with the court. The program utilizes strength-based incentives and motivational consequences to help participants achieve goals and maintain family recovery.