What to Expect?

Completed registration forms with parent or guardian signatures are required prior to attending each class at Rays of Hope. The first time you come for a new class at Rays of Hope, you will be directed by one of the staff to your child’s classroom, where you will meet the group facilitators. The facilitators are volunteers trained to foster discussion between group members about feelings and coping strategies. The facilitators are not counselors and the groups are supportive in nature, not therapy groups. The parent or guardian who brought the child to class will be expected to come to each child’s room at the end of each class to pick up the child. In the event that someone else is to pick up the child after a class, a Rays of Hope staff member or one of the group facilitators should be notified at the time that the child is brought to the classroom. Children are not permitted to leave the classroom without a properly designated adult.

We work hard at Rays of Hope to teach children the value of confidentiality. Therefore, we are careful to honor the confidentiality of your child. Facilitators are not to break the confidentiality of the children in their class by sharing with parents or guardians what a child shared with the group. If you approach a facilitator to ask for information about your child, you will be redirected to ask your child about how group went. We do everything we can to encourage open and honest communication between you and your child, while honoring the trust that your child has in his or her facilitators. Rest assured that in the event that we have immediate concern for the safety of your child, we are obligated to report such concerns. Such limitations to confidentiality are also taught to your child at the beginning of each group and reviewed with the child if a breach of confidentiality is necessary. We deeply value the trust and safety of each child and thank you for trusting us with the care of your child!