WHEREAS, Childhaven (originally Seattle Day Nursery) was one of the first child care centers in the nation, beginning in 1909, and has cared for children in the state of Washington and is celebrating 100 years; and
     WHEREAS, In 1909, Reverend Mark Matthews of First Presbyterian Church, planned for and opened a day nursery to meet the needs of women who had to work because they were widowed or abandoned, or their husbands were unable to work because they were injured at work and existing on the contributions of the citizens who donated goods and volunteered their time; and
     WHEREAS, In 1921, Seattle Day Nursery completed a new child care building, the first structure west of the Mississippi to be constructed specifically as a child care facility, and was also selected to be a charter member of the newly formed Community Chest (later called United Way of King County); and
     WHEREAS, During World War I and World War II, when industry needed women to employ, Seattle Day Nursery served as a support system for those who worked in the shipyards, for The Boeing Company, in defense plants, and for other vital businesses in this state – setting the standard for good child care, which was becoming an industry in its own right; and
     WHEREAS, In 1973, Executive Director Patrick L. Gogerty, who had an extensive background working with juvenile delinquents and realized the link between early abuse and neglect - and later criminal behavior, worked with Child Protective Services to develop the Therapeutic Child Care Program model and meet an unmet need of support for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of abuse and neglect, children age one month through five years; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington state legislature has passed legislation providing state funds for Seattle Day Nursery to conduct empirical research on the effectiveness of using the Therapeutic Child Care Program model to provide early intervention and treatment to abused or neglected children under the age of twenty-four months, which, based on the results, led Seattle Day Nursery to transition all of its locations to Therapeutic Child Care and receive referrals from Child Protective Services for the children it cared for; and
     WHEREAS, Seattle Day Nursery changed its name to Childhaven in 1985 to adequately reflect the mission of the agency and the expansion of services to other areas in King county; and
     WHEREAS, In 1989, Childhaven developed the first, and still only, crisis nursery program in King county, focusing on preventing possible abuse and neglect by offering parents a safe place for their children during times of stress and crisis – and in 1990 established the Drug-Affected Infant Program, the first of its kind in Washington state, to treat children from birth through five years of age whose parents are enrolled in chemical dependency treatment programs; and
     WHEREAS, In 2009, Childhaven celebrates 100 years of services to children in King county;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the state of Washington officially recognize the invaluable work that Childhaven provides to the youngest and most vulnerable citizens of this state: Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.