FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX News) — Kentucky's first crisis nursery is set to open in Frankfort in October, offering families a safe place for children to stay for up to 30 days while parents work through difficult circumstances.
Rachel Moore, CEO and founder of the William Joseph Crisis Nursery, said the facility is designed to keep children out of the foster care system during family crises.
"This is the first crisis nursery in Kentucky. It's a place where children can stay for up to 30 days while their parents are navigating different crisis situations to keep them out of foster care," Moore said.
Moore, a domestic violence survivor herself, said fear once kept her from seeking help and that experience shaped her vision for the nursery.
"I'm a domestic violence survivor and I was afraid to reach out for help when I needed it," Moore said.
The nursery aims to be more than a temporary shelter. Moore said the goal is to create a welcoming environment for any family in need.
"So this is just a safe place where families can come no matter what they're going through so that they can receive love and support without judgement," Moore said.
Executive Director Shaine Kerns said the nursery is built around the idea that children should be shielded from the weight of a family crisis.
"If there was a place to put those children so that nothing in their daily life changed, nothing moved, and they just were. They were loved. They were accepted while mom figured stuff out, and then she could come back and get them, that's the ultimate goal," Kerns said.
An infant pantry, stocked with items like diapers and hand soap, is already operating at the facility, along with domestic violence support groups. Organizers say the nursery's reach will extend well beyond Frankfort.
"If there is a child in need from anywhere in the state, we will help them," Kerns said.
The nursery is named after Will Rawlings, Moore's brother-in-law, who donated 40 percent of his liver to her son Eli for a transplant before passing away in 2017.
"It is named after my brother-in-law, Will Rawlings. He donated 40 percent of his liver to my son Eli when he needed a liver transplant, and he passed away in 2017. So, it's a way to keep his legacy and story alive, which I promised to him," Moore said.
Moore said she hopes that legacy will be felt by every child who comes through the nursery's doors.
"We want to make this as homelike and family-like as possible and just for them to receive all the love that they can while they're here," Moore said.
The nursery is not currently grant funded and is relying on donations to get the space ready for its October opening.
They are asking for diapers (all sizes), baby wipes, baby wash, baby lotion, $25 Kroger gift cards, $25 VISA gift cards, bottled water, assorted snacks, disinfectant wipes, tampons, pads and hand soap.
For more information, you can visit William Joseph Crisis Nursery - Safe Haven for Children in Crisis.
Molly Demrow is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Molly at molly.demrow@wlex.tv
