By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For those who work with troubled children, it’s sometimes difficult to see the results. The confirmation may come years later.
Every once in awhile, Janelle LaFond will get unofficial reports in unexpected places.
“I go to Walmart and someone in the checkout will say, ‘Hey, I made it. I have two kids and a job.’ That’s always wonderful to hear,” LaFond said.
After working with children and their families at Children’s Resource Center for decades, and serving as executive director of the agency since 2012, LaFond is retiring.
She leaves behind a legacy of trying to make children’s lives better.
LaFond remembers driving past the construction site for Children’s Resource Center more than 40 years ago. She watched the building take shape as she drove by each day on her way to her teaching job at Ridgeville Corners.
The sign out front said it was to be the future home of the Children’s Resource Center – and even then, LaFond knew she wanted to work there.
“I started out in speech and hearing therapy,” she said. “My cousin was born with a cleft palate, and I went with him to a couple appointments,” and decided that was the career for her.
That would be the beginning of a lifetime of helping children – mostly at CRC, which she joined in 1979.
In her roles with the residential center, as a behavioral specialist, working with psychiatric nurses, and consulting with schools on behavioral management, LaFond often saw children at their lowest.
She worked with depressed adolescent girls.
“You give lots of support and care and understanding of their trauma,” she said.
“Kids are resilient. They have a great sense of humor most of the time,” she said. “I just enjoy and celebrate them.”
In an often chaotic world of struggling children and families, LaFond was a calm space in the storm.
“She is caring, compassionate and thoughtful,” said Melanie VanDyne, director of operations at CRC, who has worked with LaFond since 1983. “She takes her time to make decisions.”
And above all, she makes decisions based on what is best for the children.
“She’s calm in the face of any storm,” VanDyne said. “She’ll go toe-to-toe with anyone she needs to to advocate for kids of Wood County.”
LaFond was on the ground floor, helping to develop the mission and values of CRC, said Cindy Hollinger, staff development specialist who has been at CRC since 1979.
“She has sustained those through time,” Hollinger said about the founding mission of the agency.
“She’s always had a commitment to kids and families,” Hollinger said. “She’s so personable and approachable, and works well with people at all levels.”
LaFond is also respectful of staff and seeks input before making decisions, Hollinger said.
“She always has her door open and wants people to come to her with concerns,” Hollinger said. “She’s able to step up and make tough decisions. She’s able to do that with grace.”
The demands on services have increased greatly since LaFond began with CRC. The agency now sees about 1,500 children a year, and has a staff of 105 employees.
But it’s not just the numbers that have increased, but also the severity of problems faced by families.
“I remember kids in the residential unit,” when she started out with CRC. The parents would come in for discussions and argue. But after a couple sessions, “they’d go home arm in arm.”
“We see many more kids that have had real traumatic events” in their lives, LaFond said.
The emphasis on prevention has also grown. CRC staff are often out at schools or day care services, offering their help in handling problems to teachers or child care workers.
Because working with wounded children is stressful, burnout among staff can be common.
“We deal with vicarious trauma,” with CRC counselors working with many families each week. “We hear very sad stories. It’s hard to not take that home,” she said.
And sometimes, the impact of their work with children is not revealed till much later.
“It’s a tough job and it takes a long time to see a lot of improvement,” LaFond said. “Sometimes we get letters a year later, saying ‘this really made a difference in our lives.’”
In an effort to keep the staff emotionally healthy, CRC recently went through “Sanctuary” training so self-care plans became part of the daily operations at the agency.
The Sanctuary model changes the mindset of working with people who have experienced traumatic events.
“It really isn’t about ‘What’s wrong with you?’ The question needs to be, ‘What has happened to you?’”
The goal is to make CRC an open and healing environment for all who enter. So though LaFond will no longer be there, her impact will still be felt by children and families seeking help.
“When you come in here, you feel very safe,” she said. “Everybody is involved in making the place feel safe and healing.”
