Articles

Author: Natalie Leek, Providence House President & CEO

Published in Children’s Voice, Volume 34, Number 2

by Natalie Leek

Providence House in Cleveland, Ohio, has kept more than 16,000 children safe and families together through its innovative, nationally recognized Family Preservation Crisis Nursery model—a model that is gaining momentum in sharing its expertise and vision with child welfare advocates across the country.

With 44 years of success as one of the nation’s largest and longest-running licensed and accredited crisis nurseries, Providence House has expanded it reach outside of its local community to help others bring these lifechanging services to families in crisis. Their mission is to keep kids safe and families together by embracing them with support that strengthens communities. In the last 10 years, 98% of families who received Providence House support prevented foster care placements and stayed together. Providence House does this by providing free, voluntary, 24/7 emergency shelter and care in a safe, licensed, homelike environment to children zero through 12 whose families are experiencing crisis. While their children stay in the crisis nursery, parents and guardians receive holistic support and resources to enhance parenting skills and build personal and economic stability.

All crisis nurseries offer emergency care to children, but what makes Providence House unique is its focus on family support and intervention to address the root causes of crisis and establish connections to ongoing resources. Providence House social workers form a relationship of trust to understand the challenges each family is facing; determine how to best support them through trauma screenings or counseling; and connect them to more than 100 community partners to help them gain employment, secure safe housing, receive medical care, address sobriety or mental health challenges, and more. Families involved in Providence House programs and services are more likely to experience increases in employment, income, housing permanency, educational attainment, and reduction in the likelihood of their children entering foster care.

Nearly 80% of Providence House parents self-refer, were themselves involved in the child welfare system as young people, and are reaching out to break this cycle for their own children. By helping these parents and preventing foster care placements, Providence House saves millions of public dollars in foster care costs by unifying families. And that unification lasts—a research study conducted by Case Western Reserve University found that 82% of its families stayed together long-term (Crampton & Yoon, 2016).

To expand the impact of the evidence-based Providence House model, the organization launched the Center for Crisis Nurseries in 2020 to connect with organizations currently doing this work or interested in learning more, to educate on transformative impact of family preservation crisis nurseries, and to share resources and best practices. Under the leadership of Providence House, the Center is now an international group of 250 members across the United States and Canada who convene to advocate for and advance the crisis nursery model. Because of its reputation as a national leader in child welfare, Providence House continually receives requests for consultation or replication of its services in other communities. It was recently contracted by San Antonio, Texas to lead a feasibility study to bring the first crisis nursery to the city. This study and continued work builds on a longstanding relationship with San Antonio and will help ensure more children and families in crisis can benefit from support services focused on early intervention, foster care prevention, and enhancing family strength and stability.

Because of its reputation as a national leader in child welfare, Providence House continually receives requests for consultation or replication of its services in other communities. It was recently contracted by San Antonio, Texas to lead a feasibility study to bring the first crisis nursery to the city. This study and continued work builds on a longstanding relationship with San Antonio and will help ensure more children and families in crisis can benefit from support services focused on early intervention, foster care prevention, and enhancing family strength and stability.

As it creates opportunities across the country, Providence House also remains committed to continuing to effect change at home. This summer, the State of Ohio approved funding for Providence House to conduct a statewide feasibility study with the Every Child Ohio initiative. This work will identify communities outside of Greater Cleveland that are prepared to support a Family Preservation Crisis Nursery to address the state’s foster care crisis by further reducing the number of children entering foster care across the state and keeping more Ohio children safe and families together.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about how the Providence House model is transforming approaches to keeping kids safe and families together, or joining the Center for Crisis Nurseries Community, is encouraged to visit crisisnurseries.org or contact info@crisisnurseries.org.

Natalie Leek has 30 years of corporate and nonprofit experience. As the president and CEO of Providence House for nearly 24 years, she has quadrupled the organization’s service capacity and revenues, and positioned Providence House as a nationally recognized leader in child abuse prevention, family preservation, and foster care prevention. A thought leader, educator, and advocate at the state and national level on child welfare issues and policy barriers impacting families in poverty, Natalie has served on a number of nonprofit boards, is a regular presenter and lecturer at local and national conferences and universities, and consults with a range of interested parties across the United States who strive to adopt the unique program model she has developed at Providence House.

Reference

Crampton, D., & Yoon, S. (2016). Crisis nursery services and foster care prevention: An exploratory study. Children and Youth Services Review, 61, 311-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.01.001

Author: Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed two executive orders directing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program funding to initiatives that will provide support services to Ohio families.

The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives recommended the fiscal year 2022 awards help families and reduce poverty.

Today, the Cleveland Browns honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man that stood for peace, equal, rights and freedom for all people. His lasting impact reminds us to educate, empower and inspire positive change off the field, by using our platform to address racism and tackle social justice in our communities. Through the Be the Solution initiative, the entire Browns organization remains committed to conversations and actions that move our community towards a more equal and just tomorrow.

Inspired by an email sent by the team’s EVP of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry, the Browns Be the Solution initiative was launched in June 2020 in response to the tragic death of George Floyd. Ultimately, the email served as the inspiration for a call to action for all Browns fans to stand up for social justice.

Matt Starkey/Cleveland Browns

The Browns stand in solidarity with all the people within our country who are making the commitment, effort and sacrifice necessary to demand and work towards positive change for the Black community. The following are the areas where the organization will work to become an instrument for change:

• Education, Police Reform and Accountability
• Economic Advancement and Community Support
• Non-Partisan Voter Registration
• Education and Turn Out

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

You too can make a difference and inspire others through volunteerism. Start by finding something you believe in and want to support. The Browns partner with many organizations doing impactful work throughout Northeast Ohio, but there are so many others you can make a difference through in your schools, on college campuses, in the workplace or within your neighborhoods.

• Take the First and Ten pledge here and make the commitment to give 10 hours to help your community
• Check out our Be the Solution and First and Ten Community Partner organizations for ways you can get involved
• Follow us @BrownsGiveBack and use #BeTheSolution and #give10 to inspire others

Since its launch in 2014, the Browns First and Ten movement has inspired more than 2.75 million hours of volunteerism. Together, we can make a difference in our communities.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Matt Starkey

Be the Solution Organizations

• Bail Project, Inc. – A non-profit organization combatting mass incarceration.
• Black Voters Matter Fund – Its goal is to increase power in our communities through voter registration.
• Cleveland NAACP – Aims to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
• EDWINS – This restaurant gives formerly incarcerated adults a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industry.
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland – Secures justice and resolves fundamental problems for those who are low income and vulnerable by providing high quality legal services.
• Towards Employment – Its mission is to empower individuals to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency through employment.
• Black Lives Matter / Black Lives Matter Cleveland – A global organization with the mission of eradicating white supremacy and building local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities.
• Campaign Zero & #8cantwait – Aims to end police violence in America.
• Diversity Center of Cleveland – Its mission is to eliminate bias, bigotry and racism.
• George Floyd Memorial Foundation, Inc. – Its mission is to eradicate systemic racism, eliminate police brutality, and to promote social justice and protect the civil rights of all people of color.
• Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry (LMM) – Provides innovative social enterprise job-training, civic engagement strategies and safety net services for Northeast Ohio.
• Urban League of Greater Cleveland – Aims to provide equal opportunities for African Americans and other minority members through education, research, advocacy and provision of services.

First and Ten Community Partners

• American Cancer Society – Nationwide health organizations dedicated to eliminating cancer.
• American Red Cross – Humanitarian organization providing emergency assistance, disaster relief and disaster preparedness education.
• USA Football – This independent nonprofit is the official youth football development partner of the Cleveland Browns, the NFL and the league’s 31 other teams.
• USO of Northern Ohio – Strengthen America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation.
• Providence House – A crisis nursery committed to child abuse prevention and family preservation in Cleveland.
• United Way – Strives to create a community where every child succeeds in school and every family and individual find financial stability and good health.
• Achievement Centers for Children – Empowers children and adults with disabilities and their families to achieve their greatest potential.
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank – Leads hunger relief efforts in Northeast Ohio, leveraging donations of food, funds and volunteer activity.
• The Centers for Families and Children – Creating life-changing solutions for people in Northeast Ohio so they can lead healthier and more successful lives.
• Greater Cleveland Sports Commission – Aims to measurably enhance the economy, image and quality of life in the Greater Cleveland community by attracting and creating significant sporting events and activities.
• American Heart Association – Aims to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke.

December 23, 2020 // Franchising.com // CLEVELAND, OH – Participating in charity fundraisers during the holiday season has become a long-standing tradition with the Support Team Members at the Proforma Worldwide Support Centers in Cleveland, OH and Tampa, FL. Each year team members pull together to collect an abundance of donations for children and families in the local area and to help spread holiday cheer to local residents. This year the Cleveland Support Center donated over 700 items to Providence House of Cleveland. In addition, both Support Centers in Cleveland and Tampa identified local nursing homes to send holiday greeting cards and words of good cheer to residents who are shut-in and alone this holiday season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Support Team Members from Cleveland chose to support Providence House of Cleveland, Ohio’s first, and one of the nation’s longest operating, crisis nurseries in the US and Canada due to the growing demand for essential items for infants and children of the Greater Cleveland Community. Everyone involved had to get creative this year to ensure the requested items, and the subsequent donations, were collected in a manner that was safety conscious and socially distanced. In order to do so, members of the Providence House Team worked closely with representatives from the Proforma Support Center to establish an online donation site that would ship purchased items directly to the recipients in need.

“The amount of donations that we’ve received for the Providence House fundraiser has been amazing. It’s incredible to not only meet but exceed the goals we had set for this year. It is truly such a great feeling to be a part of something so special and I want to personally thank all of the employees who donated to the Providence House charity event this year,” said Vera Muzzillo, Chief Executive Officer for Proforma.

Donations included an abundance of requested toys, educational tools, clothing, arts and crafts and other valuable items. In addition, as one of the leaders in the Promotional and Printing Industry, Proforma also provided new fleece blankets and reusable cloth masks to the Providence House charity for distribution.

“It’s so wonderful to see our Support Center Team Members rally around and throughout the community, especially during these particularly trying times brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are so proud of our team and wish to thank everyone who donated this holiday season,” said Kathy Mayo, Proforma Director of Human Resources.

Natalie A. Leek-Nelson, President and CEO
Providence House – A Crisis Nursery – Cleveland, OH – Cuyahoga County

Chairman Hackett, Vice Chair Tavares and members of the Subcommittee; thank you for allowing me to offer testimony on House Bill 49.

My name is Natalie Leek-Nelson, President and CEO of Providence House, a crisis nursery in Cleveland, Ohio that has supported over 8,000 children and families in crisis since 1981. I have served as the head of the organization for 16 years and bring over 25 years of experience in corporate and non-profit management to my role.

As Ohio’s first crisis nursery, Providence House has been licensed by the State of Ohio as a Crisis Care Facility since 1990 through the Department of Job and Family Services. Today we provide free, voluntary, non-custodial care for up to 30 children at time, newborn to age 10. Annually we receive over 1,000 inquiries for admission and are serving nearly 400 children from 200 families who are in crisis – and our waiting list continues to grow – nearly 100 children just last year. In Lorain County, Blessing House is the only other currently licensed crisis nursery in Ohio.

We are grateful to have received state support in the last two budget cycles. This has allowed existing crisis nurseries to protect children in situations where they were at risk of abuse or neglect, due to homelessness or unsafe housing, having a caregiver in need of medical or mental health services, substance abuse treatment, or families struggling with poverty, and community or domestic violence. We are helping families who are impacted by many of the state’s greatest challenges, such as the opioid epidemic and Ohio’s high infant mortality rate.

As just one example of our intervention and success with families facing these overwhelming challenges, I want to share the story of Paul, Jr. with you. Baby Jr. was born premature at 29 weeks and opiate addicted. His mother, who used throughout her pregnancy, refused treatment and walked away from her baby. Baby Jr.’s father stepped in and was supported by Providence House while his son stayed with us after he was weaned off of the opiates in the hospital. We provided medical support and loving care to help Baby Jr. who was not only premature, but also failure to thrive and had a gastrointestinal disorder which made him difficult to feed. While he stayed with us, we also helped his daddy, a first-time single father, learn nurturing parenting techniques, infant care practices, and medical skills so that he could care for his fragile baby. They were successfully reunified after 90- days, participated in our Aftercare Program, and remain safe, healthy and together today. Baby Jr.’s outcome could have been very different, and likely another tragic statistic in our State’s infant mortality and opioid outcomes, without our intervention.

At Providence House, we focus on proven prevention and early intervention services to strengthen and preserve families, support healthy child development, and reduce foster care placements. We use a two-generation approach to address needs of both the child and their parent. Children receive emergency shelter and direct care services, pediatric medical examinations, developmental assessments, and trauma screenings with onsite enrichment activities focused on educational, developmental, and social-emotional skill building while they stay with us for up to 60 to 90 days. Meanwhile, Licensed Social Workers work with parents to identify unmet needs and connect families to service providers ranging from mental health services and addiction services to employment agencies and early childcare programs, to assist parents in maintaining family stability. Social workers are also meeting with parents to build parenting skills and address the impact of trauma they may have experienced. Our direct services and intensive intervention are focused on ensuring long term safety, resiliency, and self-sufficiency for parents and the well-being of their children.

In 2016, 98% of the children who stayed at Providence House were reunified with their parent or guardian after an average length of stay of 20 days and 90% of families fully complied with our program requirements. This means that parents were actively engaged with all of our case management, parent education, and trauma services. 83% of parents who engaged in our services felt their family stability increased.

Through a long-term outcomes study conducted by Case Western Reserve University published in the national Children and Youth Services Review last year, we know that Providence House services have an enduring impact on families and significant economic benefits to our communities. The study compared the children we served to local foster care data and found that 82% of children who stayed at Providence House were never substantiated for abuse or neglect and never entered foster care. Knowing the average cost annually for each child in foster care is $25,782i, our services saved $8,404,932 in foster care costs just last year alone. Factor in additional costs for higher need childrenii and related medical and legal costs for foster care placements and this figure quadruples to nearly $30 Million annually. For just one county through just one Crisis Nursery. Imagine the impact and the savings that a network of Crisis Nursery services could have on the lives of children and the costs incurred by the State in foster care and over the lifetime of at-risk children. But we need your help to do it.

We know that the costs associated with child abuse and neglect are not just limited to those associated with foster care. When children experience maltreatment, it causes life-long cognitive, developmental, and social-emotional consequences with emerging research even linking child maltreatment and trauma to chronic health conditions in adulthood. While a child’s memory of maltreatment may fade, their brains and bodies remember it for the rest of their lives. Over one-third of adolescents who have been maltreated as children will have a substance abuse disorder by their 18th birthday and 80% of 21 year olds abused as children meet the criteria for at least one psychological disorder. Research indicates, almost to the birthday, when these children will become teen parents, drop out of school, be incarcerated, homeless, and even abuse their own children. Altogether, the average lifetime cost for each child maltreatment victim is over $210,000 including costs associated with productivity losses and impacting our medical, criminal justice, child welfare, and education systems. This means that the 17,693 children substantiated for abuse or neglect in Ohio in 2015 will cause over $3.7 trillioniii to be spent in direct and indirect costs over their lifetimes. And that’s just for the children maltreated in 2015. Year after year, these numbers compound as more and more children are substantiated for abuse and neglect – costing our state millions year in costs across our systems throughout their lives due to lack of early prevention and intervention.

Crisis Nursery programs like Providence House and Blessing House step in before abuse or neglect occurs to protect children and strengthen families before the intervention of law enforcement and child protection agencies is needed. Knowledge of our successful outcomes and interest in bringing the crisis nursery model to other Ohio communities like Columbus, Akron, and Cincinnati is growing. Providence House hopes to help replicate our model in these communities to provide a viable alternative to foster care and extended public systems involvement through our Every Child Ohio strategy. These additional crisis nurseries would generate exponential savings for these counties and the State.

The House included $150,000 each fiscal year to support children’s crisis care facilities. While we are extremely grateful for this support in a very tight budget cycle, this is a fifty percent reduction from the previous biennium and would result in fewer services we are able to provide to children and families during a time of increased need. To ensure that Ohio’s currently licensed children’s crisis care facilities can continue to protect children and serve families in crisis who need our services, I am asking you to support an amendment to dedicate $350,000 in each fiscal year of the upcoming biennium. These funds will be allocated to licensed Crisis Care Facilities based on the number of beds in a licensed crisis nursery; offering not only Providence House and Blessing House support to serve as many children and families as possible, but also provide a stream of state support for others who choose to open these facilities in Ohio.

Thank you again for the opportunity to speak with you about House Bill 49 and the amendment to support the vital work done by Crisis Nurseries to keep hundreds of children like Baby Jr. safe and their families together while bringing significant cost savings to the state. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

i The average annual cost for a child in foster care is $25,782. (2011 White paper)

ii $91,250 per child in foster care with physical/mental/behavioral health problems and related costs

iii Children substantiated for abuse or neglect in Ohio 2015, Kids Count Data Center
(17,693 x $210,012 = $3,715,742,316)

In Cleveland, Ohio, Providence House is one of only 78 crisis nurseries in the nation serving the most vulnerable Americans by offering free, voluntary placements for emergency shelter to children who are newborn through five years old. Increasingly, parents are turning to Providence House due to their own medical or mental health crises. Their Days of Care program gives parents a real alternative to placing a child in foster care or forgoing their own necessary health care for fear of losing custody of their children. The Days of Care short-term goals are to provide immediate shelter and care to children in need. Their long-term goal is to help the parents become healthy enough to regain custody of their children. Compared with cases at local county foster care, the reunification rate at Providence House is significantly higher and families are reunified in significantly less time. A 2009 grant from Kaiser Permanente will support up to 12 placements (based on average length of stay) for children placed because of the medical or mental health crisis of the primary caregiver over one year. Our support for the Medical Outreach Program will also allow Providence House staff to educate more medical and mental health providers about their services and expand their referral base.

Providence House, Ohio’s first licensed crisis nursery, offers emergency shelter to children newborn through five years old actively living in crisis. Since 1981, Providence House has provided quality, center-based, family focused residential care to over 5000 infants and children in crisis. Natalie Leek-Nelson, President and CEO explains Providence House and how they connected with the Cleveland Indians wives.