There are few things more detrimental to development than kids growing up without parental figures. Conversely, there are few things that possess more healing power than music.

Scaling Walls A Note at a Time (SWAN) is performing some wonderful work with music and kids in the School District of Lancaster who have been affected by their parents' incarceration. An organization without a brick-and-mortar building or office, SWAN is currently serving about 80 Lancaster city kids ages 5 to 17.

"SWAN's music and mental health program is a unique and innovative model," said Diana Vuolo, SWAN's founder and executive director. "The School District of Lancaster gets to be leaders. There is a mental health crisis among youth, and we are a solution. The impact SWAN has had has been lifesaving for some children and life-changing for many."

Vuolo estimated that on any given day in Lancaster County, 3,000 kids are affected by parental incarceration. She also said that there are 900 to 1,000 homeless children in the city of Lancaster and that many of them are affected by incarceration.

"Incarceration has a great impact on children," said Vuolo. "Of course, it separates them from their parents, and they have a sense of abandonment. There could be alcohol or drug abuse involved. Children can experience domestic violence."

"Parents are the primary people that children trust," continued Vuolo. "When that is removed, trust is removed. Their whole sense of self is lost. You'll find they have difficulty learning. It often crushes them or breaks them."

SWAN identifies kids through school counselors and then reaches them through music, music lessons, singing, dancing and playing instruments like the violin, guitar, ukulele, drums and bass. But there are also performance, mentoring and spiritual counseling pieces involved with what it does.

"Research underscores how much music helps develop brains," said Vuolo. "By playing an instrument, kids can express themselves without words. It helps them socially. They have to focus. Our children may believe trauma is normal. By making music, they're more likely to talk when they have a problem. It brings about healing physically, mentally, scholastically and behaviorally."

Music also inspires work ethic, teamwork and achievement. As SWAN kids become more comfortable and advanced, they are afforded opportunities to present what they've learned musically.

"Their performances are very important," said Vuolo. "They get applauded and see that they have success. They gain confidence. They start owning the stage. It gives our students the joy of giving back to others. It's an identity that's very positive."

Vuolo was a violin professor at Lancaster Bible College in 2011 when she founded SWAN.

"I saw the impact music had on children," said Vuolo, a 68-year-old resident of Downingtown. "My husband was counseling inmates and I started to observe how trauma impacted children. I'm an advocate for children. That's how SWAN got started."

"I started an after-school program and then the School District of Lancaster became interested," Vuolo continued. "Kids who are affected by incarceration fall through the cracks. Nonprofits are all about focusing on a problem, then educating the community about the problem and inspiring the community to join us in solving it."

For additional information on SWAN, go to http://www.swan4kids.org.