Chaffee said a study out of Massachusetts showed 90 percent of male prison inmates came from homes that experienced domestic violence. And when there is chaos in the home, the needs of children are neglected, Chaffee said. It is a special day- care facility where children who are living in domestic violence shelters come together with children who have not experienced abuse in the home. At the center, children are taught to resolve issues without violence, and they learn to manage their anger, Chaffee said. It is open to up to 80 children, from birth to age 12.
Parents pay on a sliding scale, depending on income.
Many of the children come to the shelter angry at the violence they have seen in their young lives. It's how you express that anger that's important. Community education is key in reducing all violence in the home, she said. And most importantly, we need to get to kids at the earliest age possible.