December 9, 2015
Crisis Nursery celebrates 30 years of service Recipes
Festive, flavorful gifts
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Community Voices
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By Dr. Rance Thomas
Around Town
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Residents build ramp
St. Louis Crisis Nursery, which cares for 46 children daily and over 7,000 children per year, provides a holistic approach to its mission of child abuse and neglect prevention by providing therapy and 24/7 crisis care.
The nursery focuses on caring for children and families in need throughout the St. Louis area
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School
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“Drumming through poetry”
By Sara Hardin Next year, the St. Louis Crisis Nursery will be celebrating 30 years of service to children and families in need within the St. Louis and St. Charles regions. The nursery, which cares for 46 children daily and over 7,000 children per year, provides a holistic approach to its mission of child abuse and neglect prevention by providing therapy and 24/7 crisis care. “We care for children from birth to age 12 whose families are in crisis and have nowhere to turn,” explained Crisis Nursery Chief Executive Officer, DiAnne Mueller. “We provide a 24-hour safe haven free of charge that includes physical, art and play therapy. When the children leave the nursery the parents are invited to join our Family Empowerment Program that offers free in-home
counseling and case management.” By extending its reach throughout the community, Crisis Nursery has searched for common risk factors that are known to often place children in danger. Families that experience financial stress or contain parents with little knowledge of child development are among the many signs that a child could benefit from the respite programs that the nursery offers. In order to make its services as widely accessible as possible, the nursery offers a 24-hour helpline which offers immediate care to children at risk. By participating in Crisis Nursery’s Family Empowerment Program, parents are able to apply knowledge gained through See 30 YEARS page 2
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