Crisis nursery has been helping Twin Cities families care for their kids for over 40 years
There are 3.6 million cases of child abuse reported every year in the U.S. For every incident of child abuse or neglect that's reported, an estimated two incidents go unreported.
But what can you do to stop abuse before it happens? For four decades, a group in south Minneapolis has been figuring it out.
The Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery was established by Junior League women who realized there was nowhere to turn when parents were in crisis and needed help caring for their kids.
It's where one mother of three found her strength.
"I feel so recharged, rejuvenated, refreshed," Victoria Andrews said.
Andrews' beloved kids are 9, 4 and 2. Her mother is her emotional rock, but with her health, she isn't able to physically help.
"I don't really have people to keep my kids for me. I don't have anybody, actually," Andrews said.
On a particularly exhausting day eight years ago, her mom suggested she try out the Crisis Nursery.
"It was very hard at that time. I remember, it was a snowstorm, and I didn't have a vehicle, so they, I believe, they gave me a cab ride home. And I think I cried the whole cab ride home," Andrews said. "I breastfed full-time, exclusively, so it just felt like I betrayed him, like I failed him, in a sense."
She felt shame; they saw bravery.
"Every parent who calls us wants something better for their family, they want to improve them in some way, shape or form," Laura Wagner with the Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery said. "And so there's absolutely nothing shameful about that. And so we, from the moment that they call us, the moment that they come in, we want to follow their lead as a parent. We want to reinforce that you're an amazing parent."
The nursery is free. Women get up to 30 days a year of free overnight care, no questions asked. They want to create safer homes with less abuse and less isolation.
"We are that place. We are a place where families, when they feel like they don't have anyone else that can care for their children if they feel like they need a break. And that they can prevent something bad from happening in their family by having that partner, and that's where we come in," Wagner said.
Support is what Andrews got.
"It's very personalized. What's their shoe size, diaper size? Do they need ocean sounds at night? What's their favorite character to sleep in?" Andrews said.
She has been using the nursery now for eight years, much to the glee of her kids.
"They love the staff. Teacher Dee is Princeton's favorite, and then Princeton has a special teacher. And yeah, they're just warm," Andrews said. "It's inviting. It's comforting. Even the front desk, when you first walk in, Amanda, she's always just warm and loving so we love it there."
Her kids have gotten around-the-clock care, and she's gotten her feet underneath her. She now has a full-time job counseling peers, and her children are thriving.
"Yeah, I'm not breaking. I think it's broken. I've broken the curse that was on my family, the generational patterns, the forms of discipline, the trauma. It stopped with me and my mom, and it had to be done," Andrews said. "All of that I had to work through, the pain, the trauma, basically, and I had to face it head-on so my kids didn't have to."
They now provide over 5,000 nights of care per year.
"I feel like you are stronger for reaching out, because you have to literally put your pride to the side, swallow that, you know, swallow the pride, and then ask for help," Andrews said.
The help is there 24/7, a place of unconditional love and peace.
The nursery says they welcome anyone who needs a break, and they don't define what a crisis is.
For help, you can call the crisis helpline at 763-591-0100.
