Children in crisis

Most of the children are no older than 6, and most are sweet and loving when they arrive at the Sacramento Crisis Nursery.

But there are some who are like time bombs waiting to explode.

"We take turns with the explosions," said Liani Aldana, a preschool aide who was preparing lunch recently for three boys, two 2-year-olds and a 3-year-old. Two of them were brothers.

"The kids mimic what they have learned," Aldana said, referring to domestic violence.

Domestic violence, substance abuse and homelessness are why 500 children a year, some of them abandoned newborns, are housed at the crisis nursery on Pasadena Avenue in Arden Arcade.

Some of them spend the day. Others sleep overnight, while others stay as long as 30 days, depending upon how long it takes for their parents to resolve their issues, said Sue Bonk, director of the nursery.

Seven years ago, when the nursery opened, it was one of two crisis nurseries serving Sacramento County. Today, because of the lack of funding, it is the only one.

The other crisis nursery, in south Sacramento, closed in July. Because of the closure and a new respite 24-hour-care program at the nursery, Bonk said she is starting to see more children coming to her facility.

The new respite care program is designed to allow parents to cool off so they can get a handle on their problems.

"The parents are in crisis, and we don't want them to take it out on their children," Bonk said. "I've had children arrive in body casts up to the waist."

The nursery, which operates under the umbrella of the Sacramento Children's Home, is housed in what used to be a senior center that was closed by the state for code violations, Bonk said.

Through donations and volunteerism, the site was transformed into a clean and modern facility equipped with new furnishings. It contains three bedrooms for infants and four bedrooms for children 2 to 5 years old.

The facility is licensed by the state to provide infant care, day care and crisis nursery care. It can hold as many as 20 children at any one time.

For every child, there must be three staff members, according to state requirements. The nursery's annual budget is about $800,000.

Children come to the nursery from social service agency referrals and from hospitals. Some parents drop by on their own to take advantage of the service, which is free and voluntary.

"We can't force anyone to keep their children here," Bonk said.

Similar nurseries modeled after Bonk's facility are in operation in Placer, Yolo and Nevada counties.

The nurseries are designed to prevent child abuse. A screening process helps families identify their problems and connects them to needed services while the nursery takes care of their children. The nursery also offers a 13-week parenting workshop.

"On average, child abuse goes on for three years before anyone can identify the abuse," Bonk said. "Studies have shown that 92 percent of men in prison were abused as kids."

Kathryn Spellacy, a teacher at the Pasadena Avenue nursery, said working with abused children is the most challenging aspect of her job.

"You see all of this emotion. It's like trauma, but the wounds are inside," Spellacy said. "When they come here, they don't want to be hugged. They don't want to eat."

After a few days, the child gets accustomed to the new surroundings and starts to act normally.

But then, something can happen that triggers the abused child to lash out in explosive behavior, she said.

"It's a normal reaction. They are getting it out. It's a normal reaction to war at home," Spellacy said.

The nursery is funded entirely on grants and donations and has a wish list on its Web site: WWW.crisisnurseryonline.com.

The staff also can be contacted by calling (916) 290-8250.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Ramon Coronado, (916) 321-1013.