Providence House is Ohio's first and one of the nation’s largest and longest-operating Crisis Nurseries.
We provide free, voluntary, emergency shelter to children newborn through twelve years old whose families are experiencing crisis, without changing custody. While their children stay in the safe, loving environment of our Crisis Nurseries, we embrace parents and guardians with support to help them enhance stability and prevent foster care placements.
Providence House has kept more than 20,000 kids safe and families together since opening our doors in 1981.
We are a national leader and innovator in child welfare and wellbeing with an evidence-based and holistic approach to crisis intervention, child safety, and family preservation.
For the last 16 years, 99% of our families resolved their crisis and welcomed their children home!
Our Mission
Providence House keeps kids safe and families together, embracing them with support to enhance stability that strengthens communities.
Our Guiding Principles
Passion
We are energized by our work, resilient in difficult times, and unified in our devotion and determination to end child abuse and neglect while making the lives of our families better.
Integrity
We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethics and rigorously assess our activities to preserve credibility and continuously improve.
Collaboration
We learn from ourselves and others, adopt best practices, share our accomplishments, and build trust to achieve the highest standards in our industry as pioneers in the crisis nursery field.
Communication
We actively welcome, listen to, and engage everyone honestly and openly about the challenges and opportunities that we confront and embrace each day.
Compassion
We believe serving children and families in crisis is our calling, and it is our duty to keep an open heart and mind to their struggles and join them in advocating for their success.
1981
Our Founder, Sister Hope Greener, CSJ, opens Providence House in a 3-room home in Ohio City
1985
Daisy, our first full-time childcare worker, is hired. She retired in 2016 after 31 years of service!
1987
We complete our first expansion in Ohio City and can care for 15 children at a time
1990
Leo’s House Crisis Nursery opens on West 32nd Street! It’s named in honor of Leo Goldberg of Ohio Savings Bank, and Leo Greener, our Founder’s father
1991
Linda Perry is named Executive Director of Providence House
1999
Providence House becomes the Cleveland Browns’ Courage House as part of the Ed Block Courage Foundation’s National Support Network for Kids
2001
Natalie Leek officially joins Providence House as President & CEO!
2003
We launch our Family Preservation Services, beginning with parent visitation and education
2006
Providence House leads a legislative effort to expand Crisis Nursery services to children newborn through age 12 for up to 90 days
2010
Providence House becomes a Trauma-Informed Care Environment, and Social Workers become Trauma Certified Consultants
2013
Leo’s House is expanded to address the ongoing need for our Crisis Nursery services
2015
We begin providing services for children with medical needs
2018
Our Giving Hope for the PHuture campaign launches to open a 20-bed Crisis Nursery and Family Resiliency Center in the Buckeye-Shaker Neighborhood.
2019
Providence House service expansion continues with our Emergency Placement and Community Referral Programs.
2020
Providence House launches telehealth services, home deliveries, virtual visits and programming in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
2022
Construction begins on our new 20-bed Crisis Nursery at Providence House East Campus as part of our expansion to the east side of Cleveland
2023
We celebrate the completion of construction on our new East Campus Crisis Nursery, Hope’s House, named in honor of our Founder