Currently, Crisis Nursery can safely support up to 12 children at a time. In a 24-hour day, the Nursery admits an average of 9-15 children. Last year, we supported 401 children!

The Nursery serves children newborn through age six.

Per our license, Crisis Nursery can only care for kids up until the age of 7. Once they turn 7, the Nursery is not an option.

When Crisis Nursery receives an inquiry from a family who has children 7 years and older, our team works to problem solve potential solutions and/or connect them to other community resources.

Children can stay at Crisis Nursery for up to 72 hours at a time. Last year, our average length of stay was 8 hours.

At Crisis Nursery, families define their own “crisis”. Common reasons for calls include high parental stress, mental health, medical/school/job related, and home crises including homelessness and domestic violence.

The Nursery does have to prioritize crises in order to be responsive to the “crisis” that has the highest risk to the child.

Families hear about Crisis Nursery most often through word of mouth or other agency referrals. Our team attends outreach events throughout the year and hosts quarterly open houses for the community to learn more about services available as well.

We do not have a limit on the number of times a family can use Nursery services. Part of our intake process does include an individual family goal plan. The progression of the plan is discussed with the parent frequently.

No, the Nursery is only licensed to care for children ages birth through six. In providing care to the children, parents have the opportunity to focus on the crisis at hand and move their family towards stability.

Crisis Nursery admits children based on the resources available to safely provide care. If we cannot safely care for a child, then we will not admit them. Our team will share other potential solutions and provide support on the phone as best as we can.

Crisis Nursery employs 30-35 staff who cover the hours of approximately 20 FTE's.

Our staff and volunteers are trained using BabyTALK and our own specifically developed adult-child interaction philosophy. In-services focusing on topics of social and emotional development, challenging behaviors, transitions, health issues and cultural diversity are offered as well. All staff and volunteers meet DCFS licensing standards and are screened.

Crisis Nursery has a Child Care Institution license from DCFS. We are not a foster care agency and DCFS does not place children here.

Our goal is to strengthen the family unit and prevent DCFS from having to get involved.

We cannot provide transportation to and from school. Most children who are staying with us are not in school.