Maryville opens emergency child-care to first responders, police officers

Maryville, teaming up with the Chicago Police Department, is opening its critical child-care services, Crisis Nursery, to first responders and police officers during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Since Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Stay-at-Home order took effect on March 21, Maryville Crisis Nursery Program Director Amy Kendal said it is important to make first responders, police officers and the community aware that crisis child-care is available for their children in a safe, loving and nurturing environment is available.

"The need for crisis child-care services are critical pre-COVID-19 for all parents and we also recognize the serious need for our first responders and police officers to help us all be safe in this very difficult time," said Kendal. "We are here to help all parents as we adhere to the Governor's order and provide safety for young children and also maintain some stability by allowing first responders to meet their families' needs and also be there for our community."

Maryville Crisis Nursery is a licensed and accredited program located on the Northwest side of Chicago. It has been providing residents of Cook and Lake counties crisis child-care for parents with children 6 and under for nearly 15 years. It offers strict observance of staff-to-child ratio, healthy meals and snacks and age-appropriate learning activities for children, round-the-clock child-care for up to 72 hours, and much more.

The program has several playrooms including a gym, art room, water room that engages children in sensory play, as well as social and emotional learning.

The Maryville Crisis Nursery is a preventative program that is open 24/7, 365 days a year and has proven to be a trusted community resource. Professional family advocates are trained to help parents navigate their immediate needs by assessing their child-care needs and also refer them to resources that are critical for families with young children.

Families can access the Crisis Nursery services for reasons such as mental health, medical emergencies, domestic violence, and employment or home crisis. It is a safe place for young children when parents are navigating very difficult circumstances that can pose a threat to a child's safety and protect children from abuse, neglect or trauma. The Crisis Nursery believes that asking for help is a sign of strength.

Parents who need help can call the 24-hour Crisis Helpline at 773-205-3637.

For more information on the Maryville Crisis Nursery, you can watch the video created by the Chicago Police Department at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS04gsKjEFQ.