Need support? These organizations help children and families heal from trauma.

When children experience abuse, neglect or violence, their caregivers sometimes try to avoid discussion of what happened, thinking this is the best way to support their loved ones. But behavioral health and child welfare experts say the sooner a child can talk about their trauma, the faster they can heal.

“It’s normal to avoid talking about something that will bring up rough feelings for a child,” said Asjoure Brown, the director of stability services at House of Ruth Maryland, an intimate-partner violence center. “But it’s important to process these experiences and incorporate them into our history.”

Below, you’ll find information about Baltimore-area organizations that seek to prevent child abuse, connect traumatized kids with therapists, and help grief-stricken young adults find community.

These resources may help children who were involved in a dangerous accident or who are confused and heartbroken over a classmate’s unexpected death. They may also help families who are struggling to get by and don’t know where to turn for support.

For struggling new parents: The Family Tree

The Family Tree in Charles North works to prevent child abuse and trauma by supporting and educating parents from their child’s birth.

Mothers who deliver at Sinai Hospital in Northwest Baltimore qualify for free home visits from a registered nurse, with care scheduled by Brown’s staff.

And when parents of children ages 2 to 12 need a break, they can bring their kids to The Family Tree’s licensed childcare center for free for up to four hours. This service is open to anyone who needs it.

“When you get a parent who is stressed to the brink, they can react in a way they never thought they would,” said Stacey Brown, the organization’s executive director. “We’re trying to prevent that.”

The morning childcare session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. The second session runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Parents are encouraged to call ahead or register online.

The Family Tree also offers parenting classes on communication and discipline and staffs a 24-hour parenting hotline. The phone number is 800-243-7337.

For children who need therapy: HealthCare Access Maryland

Children healing from trauma often need therapy, experts say, and to access a licensed counselor or therapist, they often need health insurance.

HealthCare Access Maryland partners with the state Department of Health to get Marylanders registered. Staff can help residents enroll, renew or change their Medicaid coverage or any plan they’ve purchased through the state’s health insurance marketplace. The organization also manages health care for Baltimore children in foster care.

People with questions about health care can call 410-500-4710 to schedule an appointment with a staff member, or visit Health Care Access Maryland’s office on Redwood Street in Downtown Baltimore.

The organization serves residents of Baltimore city and county along with Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s, Frederick and Charles counties.

Once families have coverage, parents can ask plan administrators for help finding a therapist that accepts their child’s insurance. They can also use the search tool on the Psychology Today website.

For children experiencing homelessness: Health Care for the Homeless

Health Care for the Homeless in Penn-Fallsway helps children, families and adults experiencing homelessness access medical, dental and mental health care.

Therapy is available for English- and Spanish-speaking children ages 14 and up at the downtown and West Baltimore locations. Their caregivers and other adults also have access to psychiatry and substance use disorder treatment services.

Healthcare for the Homeless social workers can help parents obtain documents such as birth certificates, state ID cards and social security cards and secure temporary or permanent housing. Staff members will research housing options, contact landlords and help families through the housing application process.

Once clients are housed, staff try to help them stay housed with supports like occupational therapy, group therapy and assistance completing tasks like house cleaning and shopping.

For survivors of abuse: Center for Hope

When authorities suspect a Baltimore child may have been sexually abused, they bring the child to the nationally accredited Center for Hope near Pimlico.

There, trained forensic investigators conduct a non-leading, non-threatening interview as quickly as possible and ask the child to say in their own words what did or did not happen. Manny, the facility’s specially trained black Labrador, is available to support and soothe children throughout the process. Then the interview is shared with police and prosecutors as they consider criminal charges for the alleged abuser.

Before this single-interview model was developed in the 1980s, victims of child sexual abuse would be asked to repeat their stories several times, a practice that further traumatized them, said Adam Rosenberg, the center’s executive director. It also caused problems when their statements to police varied slightly from one telling to the next, he said.

“Now, we put the child at the center of the investigation,” Rosenberg said.

The Center for Hope’s new facility is designed to be welcoming, with bright colors and natural light. Families have access to private waiting rooms, a playground and an art station located just off the lobby. The center also provides transportation. And after an interview takes place, the child, any siblings and their caregiver all have access to free therapy.

Right now, the center only serves families referred by authorities, but Rosenberg said he hopes to expand access soon.

For abuse survivors who need emergency shelter: House of Ruth Maryland

House of Ruth Maryland in Montebello is an intimate partner violence center dedicated to helping the women and children who survive abuse at home.

Anyone fearing for their safety can contact the organization’s 24-hour hotline or chatline and connect with a counselor trained in crisis intervention and safety planning. That phone number is 410-889-7884. The chatline is accessible online at hruth.org.

House of Ruth has an emergency shelter with 23 private rooms where survivors can stay with their children. Men are also welcome. Brown, the organization’s stability services director, said there is no cap on how long families can stay, although many choose to stay for around 90 days.

Parents who need childcare can get it at the shelter’s licensed center, which can serve up to 19 children ages 6 and under. It also offers after-school care until 9 p.m. on weekdays.

Brown said counseling is available and encouraged for children and parents living in the shelter and some clients who live in Baltimore City, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Sessions are available in person or online, in an individual or group setting, and in English or Spanish.

For grieving children: Roberta’s House

Roberta’s House supports children and families experiencing grief following a loved one’s death. The organization in East Baltimore’s Midway neighborhood was founded in the 1980s by a funeral home director. It now offers individual therapy sessions and runs numerous support groups. Among them:

Growing Through Loss is a 10-week, structured peer support group that helps children of all ages process grief, learn coping skills and develop emotional resilience.

Families Healing Together teaches parents with children ages 5 to 17 to embrace life after loss. It groups children by age and encourages them to ask questions while adults meet and discuss their concerns. This is also a 10-week program.

Rays of Hope is a family support group for survivors of homicide to express their pain openly. The program is offered in Baltimore and Prince George’s counties several times a year.

Roberta’s House also runs two camps for grieving children:

Camp Erin is a free, weekend-long bereavement camp for children and teens ages 6 to 17 who are grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. It takes place annually in August at a campground near the Chesapeake Bay.

Camp Phoenix is a weeklong day camp designed for high school students who are navigating grief and loss.

And for families that experience the death of a child, including pregnancy loss, Roberta’s House runs a program called HALO in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health.