What is a crisis nursery?
A crisis nursery is a residential care facility which provides short-term, 24-hour care to children, protecting them from crisis situations that could lead to incidences of abuse or neglect. The two major purposes of the nursery are to provide: 1) a safe environment for the child and 2) a non-threatening resource for parents to help them alleviate the crises in their lives. The concept of crisis nurseries as a child abuse prevention tool originated on the east coast in the mid-1970s and has since spread across the country. There are several other facilities in Washington. However, the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery is the only such facility in the Inland Northwest, serving families from as far away as Moses Lake, North Idaho and eastern Montana. The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery provides care for children from birth through age six. We also offer support for parents in the form of crisis counseling, referrals to community social service agencies, as well as parenting classes and family su
