Crisis Nurseries Offer Care

Crisis nurseries provide a safe haven for children whose families are in crisis.  They can be an important resource to a mother who is suffering severe postpartum depression or other maternal mental illness and has nowhere to turn to find care for her children in an emergency.  Most mothers are not aware that they can access the free services offered by the trained childcare and crisis intervention professionals at local crisis nurseries when they feel unable to care for their children themselves.

According to the Crisis Nursery Coalition of Illinois, the goal of a crisis nursery is to “reduce risk, increase child safety and strengthen family functioning by providing respite, stress reduction, social support and basic resources to families in crisis.”  Crisis nurseries are generally open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year, rather than just during business hours like traditional childcare.  Many provide both emergency daytime care and overnight stays for up to a specified number of days.

Here is a list of the crisis nursery locations of which we are aware in the United States, should you need to call upon them as a resource:

Arizona – Phoenix Crisis Nursery

California – Sacramento Crisis Nursery, KARE Crisis Nursery (Grass Valley), Bay Area Crisis Nursery (Concord)

Connecticut – Kids in Crisis (Fairfield)

Illinois – Bloomington and Rockford Crisis Nurseries, Maryville Academy Crisis Nursery (Chicago), Urbana Crisis Nursery, Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery (Springfield)

Indiana – Ark Crisis Childcare Center (Evansville)

Kentucky – Wee Care Nursery (Bowling Green)

Minnesota – Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, New Horizons Crisis Nursery (Southwest MN), Lutheran Social Services Crisis Nurseries (Duluth, Mankato, St. Cloud), Path Crisis Nursery (Monticello), Bridges of Hope Crisis Nursery (Brainerd)

Missouri – St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Isabel’s House Crisis Nursery (Springfield)

Nebraska – Wesley Center Crisis Nursery (Norfolk)

New York – Maria Lucadamo/NY Foundling Crisis Nursery (NYC), Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester, Prospect Family Support Center (Bronx)

Ohio – Providence House Crisis Nursery (Cleveland)

Oregon – Relief Nursery (Eugene)

Pennsylvania – Sally Watson Center & Baring House Crisis Nurseries (West Philadelphia & Germantown)

Utah – Family Support Center Crisis Nurseries (Midvale, Sugarhouse & West Valley)

Washington – Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery (Spokane), Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery (Kennewick), Keystone Crisis Care (Olympia), Epic Crisis Nursery (Yakima)

Wisconsin – La Causa Crisis Nursery (Milwaukee)