We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janiese Finney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Janiese, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

As a Registered Nurse, I worked tirelessly caring for children with various hospitals throughout Los Angeles County. I recognized that children were experiencing extended stays within the hospitals, Many with no visitors, aside from a social worker once a month. I would later learn that these children were in foster care and remained in the hospital because appropriate placement could not be obtained.

I grew weary of observing the continuous cycle that resulted from the lack of consistent care that was faced by foster children in Los Angeles, California. Those children who often remained in the hospital for extended periods after receiving care -were frequently placed in homes that were ill-equipped to attend to their sensitive physical, social, and mental health needs. Those that were placed often returned to the hospital in need of repeat care. The children’s lack of continuity of care stunted their progress. Furthermore, the constant instability had a greater impact on their ability to transition into stable environments impacting all aspects of their development.

In response, Loving Hands Children’s Home was launched: an innovative, collaborative approach to our mission: to promote dignity and the highest esteem in our clients while providing safe and compassionate care.

Loving Hands Children’s Home offers living accommodations and care services for displaced and medically fragile children within a loving home setting. Our facility provides Registered Nursing care and a wide variety of care services and activities that focus on Holistic care. We target not only areas of physical health, but promote emotional wellness, mental health, spiritual healing, intellectual & social wellbeing and environment health as well.

Our planned system for intake allows for continuity of care, by gathering all information related to the “whole” child’s wellness. Information gathered facilitates the development of formal care plans that transition into more permanent placement providing for reduced medical issues and promoting a healthy life for the youth. In addition, development of our wrap around programs and activities such as Animal Therapy- foster emotional, physical , mental health and well being. Our programs enhance and promote the progression of youth. Our Edible Forest combats global issues while enlightening and empowering our children. It applies the principles of ecology to mimic a forest ecosystem that provides a sustainable system offering food, fun, treats and delicious healthy goodness. Our edible forest offers practicality and teaches us how to live interdependently without exhausting our resources.

Loving Hands Children’s Home insures thorough care within a loving family oriented environment. We contribute to countless children’s lives providing a loving, nurturing atmosphere as well as fostering education, responsibility and support.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Janiese Finney, RN BSN PHN. I was born and started my life journey within the South Central Community of Los Angeles. I was born to loving parents who did everything within their power to ensure that myself, my older sister and younger brother were protected, educated, and properly cared for, in addition to having all that we needed and desired! My father was an Emergency Healthcare Provider and my mother an Insurance Underwriting Manager. We were a typical middle class family.

When my older sister was a meek 13 years old, something happened that would change life for us all. My sister was brutally and tragically murdered by Los Angeles gang members, as a result of a mistaken identity.

This was a horrifying time for our family. I could not imagine why someone would want to hurt my big sister. I couldn’t help but to think, that I might be next. I was crippled by fear that affected all aspects of my life. Although my parents tried hard to console us and instill a sense of safety and security, I found it extremely difficult to cope and maneuver this human experience. This forever changed the young woman that I would become.

I found comfort in caring for others and was destined to follow in my fathers footsteps, finding great solace as a Registered Nurse. When I would see children in the hospitals alone, frightened and not understanding why any of this was happening to them… I recognized those atrocious feelings and horrifying distress. I found it easy to relate to those children who held tears of dread within their eyes. I understood the fear, the disquietude and uncertainty that they felt. I made it my mission to be the support, comfort and loving hand that was needed.

As it turns out, I sustained an injury at work and ended up having to undergo several surgeries. I was told by my employer at the time, that I was a liability and was not allowed to return to work. I was devastated. After all, I was injured doing my job! How would I provide for my own family?

A friend of mines who was a Department of Child and Family Services Ambassador, came to me and asked if I would be willing to care for medically fragile children… that same population of children that I’d previously noticed living in our hospitals because they didn’t have appropriate placement. It was a match made in heaven! I now look back and I say to myself; that injury was the best thing that ever happened to me! It changed my life and allowed me to live in light, granting me the gift of helping to promote better life outcomes for at risk and medically fragile foster children.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

In life and healthcare today… especially in Western Medicine, we often forget about treating the “Whole” person. We tend to treat symptoms and often some of our curative medicines have severe side effects that end up worse than the initial issue that you were seeking to cure in the first place. Many of our health challenges are direct results of poor dietary choices, sedentary life styles and excess stress… All of which are devastating catalyst to disease and poor health and also all of which are PREVENTABLE or manageable at least.

Loving Hands Children’s Home employs programs that serve total integrated care. We have embraced a Holistic approach to care and the success is undeniable . From standard health care practices to Animal Therapy, to Nature connected health benefits, as well as Meditation and other mindfulness practices, a Holistic approach has become more popular than ever, especially for children.

Studies have shown that teaching kids mindfulness practices can cultivate their attentiveness, respect for themselves and others, self-control, and empathy, all while reducing stress, hyperactive behavior, ADHD symptoms, and depression.

Giving children the tools to help them fend off negative thoughts and behaviors, build self-confidence, focus, and treat others and themselves with respect and appreciation is a gift and skill that they will have for the rest of their lives. This grants children resources necessary to make more positive life decisions.

It is definitely vital to the progress of youth and human kind to focus on whole self centered care.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I would definitely say that I had to unlearn living in fear, As a result of my childhood traumas (the murder of my older sister), I had allowed fear to have a hold on me that stopped me from actually living and reaching my highest potential. Instead of brainstorming ideas and then allowing myself to make goals, then bring those magnificent ideas to fruition… I found myself trapped by my fears, negative self talk and thoughts of “what if”, plagued by notions that I might fail.

One of my first cases within Loving Hands Children’s Home was a little boy who’d been born to a drug and alcohol addicted mother. As a result of drug exposure in utero, by the age of 5 years old, this little boy had been in several foster homes, he was cognitively disabled, he had undergone 4 open heart surgeries, he’d been diagnosed with FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), he was a spina bifida client, he had been diagnosed with chronic lung disease, he had profoundly severe hearing loss and he also had several other medical challenges. This little boy took in excess of 14 medications daily and was dependent upon a G-Tube for feeding. As a result of his life experiences, this young baby had no reason whatsoever to seek or believe that there was a thing called happiness, hope or trust in life. However, every time I saw him, his smile lit the room! His belly laugh and little chuckle were infectious and he just always seemed to find light and joyousness in life.

Because of all of his medical challenges, it was difficult to find a foster home and even more so, to find a forever family and home that would be able to provide for all of his needs. He came into my life and we began to build a trust and a love that was unmatched!

He used to run through the space dressed in a Spider-Man costume. Because of his hearing capacity, he also had a substantial speech impediment and struggled to clearly use expressive language. As he ran down the halls, hands in the air as though he were in flight. His muddled little voice would ring out through the area, ” Skyder Gan! “… in attempt at saying “SpiderMan!” The sound of his voice always brought a smile to my face… as it did anyone who was in the space and was able to hear his Spider Man call to arms. He had no fear, No reservation in his desires. He was clear about his intention. He was honest in his emotion, and completely loving in his approach to everyone. He’d jump into the air as though he’d leapt to the top of a tall building in a single bound and land striking his most heroic pose, hands balled in fists that were gallantly positioned at his hips. If he saw another child crying, he’d rush to their aid exclaiming, “IT’S OKAY” ,as he rested his head upon their chest in a quasi hug, while also caressing them empathetically. If he saw something that he deemed reprehensible, he’d yell, “NO THANK YOU!”, while wagging his finger back and forth. He only required a simple apology and he’d warm your heart once more with his lovingly forgiving smile, as he let you know, “It’s Okay”, giving the asl sign for “Sorry”… made by forming the letter “A” and rotating the hand in a circular clockwise motion on his chest.

I’m not sure if he even realized it… but he was the first true super hero that I’d ever met! Just a blessing to our lives and world. I went on to adopt that little man and have him further bless our family with the kind of love that people only dream of. He is thriving and doing well to date! Since then, I have adopted three children and they have taught me, opened my eyes to the beauty of our world, preserved my youth, and have opened my heart to a love and beautiful bonds that I would not trade for anything in the world. People always comment on how I have potentially changed their lives for the better.. But I know for certain that they have honesty changed the quality of life for an entire family. I thank them sincerely for sharing their hearts and lives with us.

My children have helped me to realized that I should never allow fear and negative emotion to dictate my life. In the face of all that they endured in their early little lives, they’ve been resilient and unyielding in their love. I began to understand fear as an instinctual survival mechanism. It was mandatory that I lived boldly, proudly and courageously and that I also learn to utilize other coping strategies. As I was able to push fears aside and move through fear, I developed confidence, pride, the ability to truly love on a deeper level and the most resolute gratitude.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lovinghandschildrenshome.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovinghandschildrenshome/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovinghandschildrenshome
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiese-finney-rn-bsn-phn-122aa2a4/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/2_loving_hands

Image Credits
Lauren Kendrick