An emergency children's shelter will reopen in south Sacramento thanks to a major grant from the First 5 Sacramento Commission.
The Sacramento Children's Home received an $853,000 grant from the commission to reopen its South Crisis Nursery, which closed two years ago due to lack of funding, said Michael Kressner, a spokesman for the children's home.
The organization also has a nursery program in North Sacramento, which has remained open since 1996.
The Sacramento Children's Home and First 5 Sacramento Commission are holding a ceremony at 11 a.m. today to celebrate the reopening of the crisis nursery in South Land Park.
The nursery, which serves children ages birth to 5 years old, is scheduled to open July 1 and will have space for eight children overnight and 10 children in its emergency child care program.
The goal of the crisis nursery program is to keep children safe by providing free, voluntary and confidential emergency care for children "when parents are overwhelmed and exhausted," Kressner said.
"We see parents who seek help as heroes, because all parents need help at some point," he said.
The program also provides counseling for parents. According to exit surveys, 95 percent of families felt the crisis nursery program reduced the risk of their child being harmed.
Over the past 13 years, the program has served more than 6,000 children and 4,300 families in Sacramento County.
The commission's grant - funded through Proposition 10, a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes - will provide enough funding to run the South Crisis Nursery for one year. Officials have already begun looking for funding sources to keep the nursery open, Kressner said.
For more information about the Sacramento Children's Home, go to their Web site.
The First 5 Sacramento Commission also has more information about the programs it supports on its Web site.
The North Crisis Nursery can be reached at (916) 452-3981. The South Crisis Nursery can be reached at (916) 394-2000.
The Sacramento Children's Home received an $853,000 grant from the commission to reopen its South Crisis Nursery, which closed two years ago due to lack of funding, said Michael Kressner, a spokesman for the children's home.
The organization also has a nursery program in North Sacramento, which has remained open since 1996.
The Sacramento Children's Home and First 5 Sacramento Commission are holding a ceremony at 11 a.m. today to celebrate the reopening of the crisis nursery in South Land Park.
The nursery, which serves children ages birth to 5 years old, is scheduled to open July 1 and will have space for eight children overnight and 10 children in its emergency child care program.
The goal of the crisis nursery program is to keep children safe by providing free, voluntary and confidential emergency care for children "when parents are overwhelmed and exhausted," Kressner said.
"We see parents who seek help as heroes, because all parents need help at some point," he said.
The program also provides counseling for parents. According to exit surveys, 95 percent of families felt the crisis nursery program reduced the risk of their child being harmed.
Over the past 13 years, the program has served more than 6,000 children and 4,300 families in Sacramento County.
The commission's grant - funded through Proposition 10, a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes - will provide enough funding to run the South Crisis Nursery for one year. Officials have already begun looking for funding sources to keep the nursery open, Kressner said.
For more information about the Sacramento Children's Home, go to their Web site.
The First 5 Sacramento Commission also has more information about the programs it supports on its Web site.
The North Crisis Nursery can be reached at (916) 452-3981. The South Crisis Nursery can be reached at (916) 394-2000.
