For children recovering from abuse or neglect, something as simple as a new outfit can symbolize a new beginning and serve as a first step on the path to healing.
Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and the Alex Morgan Foundation have joined forces to create a place inside the Hospital’s children’s advocacy center, The Chadwick Center for Children and Families, where kids in crisis can pick out a new set of essentials, like clothing, backpacks, socks, shoes, undergarments, hygiene kits and journals.
It’s called the Confident Closet, and the goal is to give kids a comforting space where they can make their own choices and begin their journey toward resilience.
“The closet has been designed to feel like a high-end boutique so that the children we serve can feel special. We want the children who come to the Chadwick Center to know that they are worthy of brand new, beautiful clothing that they get to choose,” says Golby Rahimi Saylor, executive director of the Chadwick Center.
The Chadwick Center is one of the largest and most respected hospital-based children’s advocacy and trauma treatment centers in the country and is national leader in child protection and trauma-informed care. It’s a place where children come to heal.
Many kids arrive at the Chadwick Center with only the clothes they were wearing during crisis, which may need to be taken by authorities as evidence. New, clean clothes can help show them that they are safe.
“My hope is that this Confident Closet is the first but definitely not the last,” says Morgan. “I’m excited for it to make a big impact in these girls’ and boys’ lives.”