Making Child Haven a home

Elizabeth Dutton

Monday, Nov. 3, 1997 | 10:50 a.m.

For Leslie Parraguirre, it is impossible to ignore a child in need.

Despite a busy schedule, she sat holding a crying baby in the infant cottage at Child Haven.

She is part of the reason Child Haven, Clark County's home for abused and neglected children, is just that: a home.

For almost four years she has been donating her services as an interior designer to improve living conditions for the county's children. Her company, Colours Inc., worked with architects and local businesses to create a warmer environment than the previous institutional-hued cottages.

The cottages were clean, "but they needed to be spruced up," Parraguirre said.

In an effort to improve the six cottages on the site, Child Haven started the "Adopt-A-Cottage" program. Companies and individuals were encouraged to donate money for the renovation of the children's living quarters.

After hearing about the Adopt-A-Cottage program, Parraguirre realized that although she could not afford to donate the money for an entire cottage, she could give her time and expertise to improve the cottages and make them more comfortable for the children.

She changed the color scheme to include more desert tones and colors that are said to have a more calming effect. She also worked to acquire new furniture. Each cottage now has sofas in the common areas that are made of leather, a material that is easy to clean and does not harbor infestation.

"As proud as I am of everything," she said, "I honestly don't feel as if it was all just me. A lot of talented people were involved."

In addition to using her own talents, Parraguirre enlisted the help of many local companies and artists. Rugby Building Products was able to secure a donation from Pionite, a division of the Pioneer Plastics Corp. that makes high pressure laminates for surfacing countertops and cabinets. Pionite provided all of the materials used in the cottages free of charge.

Arcon, a local company that does specialty concrete, gave $18,000 worth of materials and free labor for the Agassi Center for Education, the school located on the site.

The Agassi Center, provided through an $800,000 donation from the Agassi Foundation, drew the participation of other individuals who were willing to give their time and talent.

Michele Fowler of Lummis Elementary School in Summerlin directed art projects with more than 800 children that were used in the Agassi Center. The children made paper by hand that was then crafted into huge mobiles. Fowler also built a "human loom," with which her students created a large weaving that hangs in what will soon be the library. Fowler was so taken with the project that she and her mother later used photo-sensitive paint to create large, hand-sewn banners that hang from the high ceilings.

Other art in the facility was created by children of Child Haven. Kim Kristosimo, owner of Art For Kids, helped the children make pieces that reflect good times and bad. The artwork, which was framed for free, hangs throughout the center.

Parraguirre was pleased with the outcome.

"It was just astonishing how the community came around," she said.

The center, which opened in 1960, saw 3,023 children last year. The average length of stay is about 1 month, although almost half the children are only there for a few days.

Child Haven tries to give kids a normal existence while they are away from their parents. This is achieved with field trips, recreation, social skill training, and a loving staff.

In many cases, siblings enter the center together. The staff will often make their stays easier by putting the siblings in the same cottage, regardless of age difference.

"We try to keep kids together as much as possible," said Sandy Kreml, assistant manager at Child Haven.

Parraguirre encourages others to volunteer and continues to support Child Haven, even if it means rocking a small boy to sleep on a hectic Thursday afternoon.

To become a Child Haven volunteer, call 455-5390.