Life Crisis Center gets new addition geared towards children

SALISBURY, Md. – The Life Crisis Center added a purple playground with a purpose.

With the center acting as a temporary home away from home for families escaping domestic violence, legal director, Christina Feehan, said this will give kids a space to play and decompress.

“Folks that we help at the Life Crisis Center are really dealing with the heavy throws of trauma, so offering some sort of peace and quiet and relaxation amidst all of the trauma that they’re going through is really important for our families, to give them some sense of normalcy,” Feehan said.

And that sense of normalcy is crucial, according to domestic violence clinical services coordinator, Karen Hughes. She said domestic violence can trigger fight or flight for children and can have long term detrimental impacts.

“Their bodies are forming, their brains are forming, when they’re always having to do that that trauma response, it can be engrained, and you don’t want that for a child. You want them to grow up healthy, so it’s really important for the parent to be able to take them out of that situation,” Hughes said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, Hughes encourages you to seek support.

“Often, they feel like they’re at their weakest when they reach out, but I always say, ‘No, you’re at your strongest, you are being so courageous to say I need to stop.” Hughes said.