History, growth, and vision

History

For more than 40 years, the Nursery has been committed to ending child abuse and neglect and creating strong, healthy families.

In 1978, the United Way conducted research on child abuse and neglect in the Minneapolis area and found there was nowhere for parents in crisis to turn when they needed counseling and help caring for their children.

To fill this need the Junior League of Minneapolis partnered with the National Council of Jewish Women, B’nai B’rith Women, Southside Nurturing Center, and several other organizations to establish the first crisis nursery in the state. It was a unique collaboration that focused on something the community desperately needed.

After five years of hard work and many difficult decisions such as licensing and site location, what was then known as the Minneapolis Crisis Nursery opened to the community in 1983.

Growth

The Nursery began with a goal to establish a 24/7 crisis helpline and shelter six children per day. Today, we answer approximately 4,000 crisis calls annually and shelter up to 20 children per day, providing over 5,000 nights of care during the course of the year to children aged newborn through six. We remain committed to strengthening families in our community in order to end child abuse and neglect.

Once the only residential crisis nursery in Minnesota, and one of 20 in the country, the Nursery has been inspiring others to make a difference in their communities. In 2017, the Southern Minnesota Crisis Nursery was established by a former Nursery volunteer in order to provide similar support for families in southern Minnesota.

Vision

We envision a community free of child abuse and neglect, where every child has a safe family environment in which to grow and thrive. Families view the Nursery as a trusted source of information, support, advocacy, safety, as well as a vital link to the Nursery’s partnering network of services. The Nursery is a recognized leader and source of inspiration for people and organizations working to end child abuse and neglect.