This month the Center is celebrating the incredible success of our annual experiential group event, IronPaws.
On November 2nd, the Center’s main campus came alive with the excitement of Ironpaws 2024, bringing together 21 children and 20 parents and caregivers for a day of courage and connection.
Divided into three teams, our young participants engaged in the adventure course featuring low ropes elements, ground-level obstacles, tricky balancing exercises, and even a rope swing!
With the unwavering support of Center staff and our Child Protection Team partners – and their families and friends cheering from the sidelines – this group of extraordinary kids experienced the power of teamwork and community while building trust and confidence.
Beyond the therapy room: The power of IronPaws
At the Center for Child Protection, we know that true healing is often found outside of traditional therapy rooms.
IronPaws is one of the experiential therapy programs we are most proud of, as it allows children and families to experience growth and trust-building in a safe, active environment.
Africa Ibarra, Lead Experiential Therapist, said the event provides caregivers and children the opportunity to build community and strengthen communication skills, teamwork and confidence.
“For many different reasons, our families don’t always get to participate in events like these,” she said.
“It is a privilege that we as a Center get to create, participate in, and experience this along with them.”
Building trust, step by step
For Chief Clinical Officer, Miriam Jansky, IronPaws is more than just a day for play.
Over the course of several weeks, Center kids visit our campus to work through their greatest fear, “falling with no one to catch you”.
“At the end of the event, our kids begin to trust that when someone says, ‘I got you,’ they mean it,” Miriam said.
“What they mean is, ‘I’m not going to let you fall’ and that, in and of itself, can change the path of someone’s life.”
The culmination of these trainings is a celebration of the incredible progress these kids have made in spite of the trauma they’ve experienced.
It also gives them a chance to feel surrounded by a network of care.
According to Africa Ibarra, the event also serves as a powerful reminder that every small act of support, every affirming word, or simply showing up for others, makes an immeasurable difference.
I hope everyone involved in IronPaws knows, and always remembers, that everything we do matters. Africa Ibarra , Lead Experiential Therapist
Transforming perceptions
IronPaws also helps to transform the perspectives of the adults who work with children who have experienced abuse or neglect.
According to Miriam Jansky, many people working in the child welfare space are often conditioned to view the children they work to protect as “victims, as opposed to survivors”.
“If your job were solely about helping children affected by crimes to stay safe, find justice, or heal, your perspective on those children would shift” Miriam said.
“At IronPaws, we have caseworkers, non-direct staff, and the Child Protection Team participating alongside our kids.”
“In those moments, their perspective changes from victim to survivor, from being abused to just being a kid.”
And for the professionals committed to protecting children and the experts devoted to their recovery, witnessing the unbreakable spirit of children in the face of adversity is a gift.
“This annual event is a testament to the healing power of experiential therapy,” Miriam said.
IronPaws reminds us all that with the right support, children can not only overcome their trauma but rediscover the joy of simply being a kid.
