Our Mission
The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery is committed to the prevention of child abuse and neglect and provides trauma-informed emergency intervention, 24-hour respite care, and support to families in crisis through:
Short-term care for young children in a safe and nurturing environment
Empowering families to resolve crises and build resiliency through culturally responsive interventions
Equitable access to concrete support, crisis counseling, and parenting education
Grassroots community outreach and training to build child abuse prevention awareness
Advocacy for the safety and wellbeing of all children and families in our region
Our Vision
We work to ensure that every child can live in a safe, loving home where they can thrive and reach their full potential.
As an organization, we place a strong emphasis on teamwork and community empowerment to achieve this vision. We would not be able to help as many children and families as we do now without the expertise of our world-class, clinically-trained staff, the community leaders we partner with, our thousands of individual donors across the country, and the investment of corporate partners. Despite the terrible odds of generational poverty, crime, and the tragic consequences of addiction, we see substantial, consistent improvement in the communities we serve. Through our efforts to prevent instances of child abuse or neglect before they happen, we boost the positive impact we have on children’s lives and our communities exponentially.
As the Crisis Nursery continues into its fourth decade of keeping kids safe and building strong families, we are coming closer and closer to realizing our vision every day.
Our History
The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery has been a national leader in child abuse and neglect prevention for over 35 years, offering immediate crisis intervention and intensive follow-up support to help high-risk families with children from birth to age 12. Specifically designed around evidence-based approaches for families facing multiple risk factors, SLCN programs provide trauma-informed crisis intervention, emergency respite care, case management, care coordination, and parenting support for struggling families across our region.
Originally opening its doors in 1986, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery was the first Crisis Nursery in the state of Missouri, founded by the Junior League of St. Louis, the Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Deaconess Hospital.
Beginning with just one location, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery has since grown to include five Crisis Nurseries and eleven community-based Family Empowerment Centers across the Greater St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Jefferson County Region.
The Crisis Nursery has remained true to its original mission of child abuse and neglect prevention.
