It’s a scenario that many professionals in various sectors have unfortunately witnessed: the clock strikes 1:00 AM, and law enforcement officers arrive at a home due to a domestic violence incident where children are present. While the immediate domestic violence situation is addressed with the adults involved, the children, often unseen and unheard in the chaos, are not assessed or offered any support simply because they haven’t sustained visible physical injuries. The next morning, these children are expected to attend school, carrying the invisible weight of the previous night’s trauma. They may appear exhausted, emotionally withdrawn, or exhibit disruptive behaviors stemming from the distressing experience. Classroom teachers and school staff are often left unaware of the underlying cause of these issues, making it difficult to provide appropriate support. However, this reactive and often inadequate response doesn’t have to be the standard. Communities across the nation are proactively changing this narrative by implementing a simple yet powerful approach: the “Handle with Care” program.
Research has consistently demonstrated the profound and lasting negative impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), such as witnessing domestic violence or community violence. These experiences can lead to toxic stress, a condition that can disrupt healthy brain development and significantly impair crucial cognitive functions like attention, decision-making, and learning – all foundational for academic achievement. Recognizing the gravity of this issue, proactive strategies are essential to prevent ACEs and mitigate their immediate and long-term harms. One highly effective intervention, built on trauma-informed principles and fostering collaboration between law enforcement, schools, and mental health services, is the Handle with Care (HWC) program.
The Handle With Care Program emerged as a direct response to the critical findings of the 2009 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention report on children’s exposure to violence (PDF). Its primary aim is to ensure that children exposed to crime, violence, or abuse receive timely and appropriate support, enabling them to thrive academically and reach their full potential. As Andrea Darr, Director of the West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice, a key organization facilitating HWC expansion, aptly states, “HWC is about helping children succeed regardless of whatever hard place they are in.” Originating as a pilot program in Charleston, West Virginia, in 2013, Handle with Care has expanded its reach throughout West Virginia and into communities across the United States. The West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice provides crucial HWC training and resources to communities, supported by funds from the Children’s Justice Act grant, a Children’s Bureau initiative dedicated to improving the handling of child maltreatment cases while minimizing further trauma to children.
The Handle with Care model is remarkably straightforward yet profoundly impactful. When law enforcement officers encounter a child at the scene of an incident, they follow a simple protocol. They identify the child and send a confidential notice to the child’s school. This notice discreetly informs the school that the child was present at a police incident the previous night and might be experiencing emotional or behavioral challenges during the school day. Crucially, the notice omits any details about the incident itself, safeguarding the child’s privacy and focusing solely on their potential need for support. The message is concise, containing only the child’s name and the vital directive: “Handle with Care.” Schools implementing HWC receive these notifications before the school day begins, allowing teachers and staff to be prepared to approach the child with understanding, empathy, and trauma-informed strategies. Furthermore, many HWC programs establish partnerships with mental health professionals to provide accessible on-site therapy services for children when needed, creating a comprehensive support system.
Through this streamlined process, Handle with Care effectively identifies children at heightened risk who might otherwise go unnoticed and unsupported. This early identification allows for a trauma-informed response and ensures access to necessary services, significantly improving children’s academic, social-emotional, and behavioral trajectories. In many communities without HWC, intervention is often limited to cases where law enforcement is legally mandated to file a report. This leaves a significant gap, as many children exposed to traumatic events do not meet the threshold for mandated reporting, resulting in their trauma going unaddressed and opportunities for preventative support being missed. The Handle with Care program effectively closes this gap, ensuring that children exposed to ACEs receive the trauma-informed support and access to mental health services they need to mitigate negative outcomes and realize their full potential. For more in-depth information and resources on implementing this vital program, please visit the HWC program website.
