Sponsor a Stay!

Families turn to the Crisis Nursery for many reasons. Given the types of crises that most of these families face, we operate on the assumption that every child staying at the Crisis Nursery may have experienced chronic stress or trauma. Through The Nursery Way, we strive to expand children’s coping skills during their stay at the Crisis Nursery by focusing on three comprehensive goals.

• First, ensuring that children feel completely safe during their stay through consistent and constant affirmation provided by using select language and protocols, enhanced structure and routines, and creative environments and activities.
• Second, through improved observation and assessment skill training, we are equipping our childcare providers with the aptitude to determine children's’ capacities to ask an adult for help, self calm, focus on activities and accept re-direction.
• And lastly, we are sharing The Nursery Way protocols with parents to help them expand their parenting skills and strengthen and support their efforts to be better parents.

Our collaborations with expert resources in child development reinforce our tenets that even a short-term stay in the environment provided by the Crisis Nursery can have a lasting positive impact on a life of a child.

One story that illustrates The Nursery Way is that of Jonah*, age 4, who recently stayed at the Crisis Nursery. Amongst the lively activity of the play gym, Jonah stood against the playroom wall, with his eyes closed, hands gently pressed together, taking deep breaths. A child care volunteer approached him and when Jonah opened his eyes, asked him what he was doing. Jonah matter-of-factly replied, “I’m calming myself.” A simple occurrence--a small act--a skill taught by Crisis Nursery staff and learned by a little boy to help him lead a healthier, happier life.

It is your compassionate support that provides children like Jonah with a stay at the Crisis Nursery. Your gifts ensure that at our comforting shelter where we employ enhanced protocols such as The Nursery Way, children whose families are in crisis can just be kids.