CLEVELAND, Ohio — A longtime Cleveland area crisis nursery is ushering in a new era and expanding its reach.
Providence House is opening a second location on Cleveland's East Side.
The facility will help more children and families experiencing life's challenges.
Officials stress their original West Side location is not going anywhere.
The new East Side spot on Buckeye Road will help meet a critical need.
Providence House officials say the neighborhood has been so severely disinvested.
Their crisis nursey will now help cut down on wait lists—which climbed to 691 kids last year.
In addition, it will create easier access for families who sometimes would spend two-plus hours on a bus trying to get across town.
"Here we are fully constructed, fully licensed, ready for children," Natalie Leek, President and CEO of Providence House, said.
The moment you step foot inside Providence House's new Buckeye-Shaker location, you are greeted with bright colors, natural light and a feeling of warmth.
"This is community development from the inside. Safe kids and families make strong communities," Leek said.
A transformation and expansion are finally complete on the historic Weizer Bank Building at East 118th Street and Buckeye Road.
The $18 million East Campus is the largest investment and development on Buckeye Road in nearly 30 years.
The goal is to make this feel like home for the roughly 20 kids who will be temporarily staying here at any given time or day.
"Wanna make sure that the children are feeling soothed and calm, that spaces don't feel frightening," Leek said.
There's also a library and study spaces.
Personalized, safe bedrooms outfitted with new clothes, toys and books aim to ease some of the stress of this new environment.
"For a lot of our kids, this is the first house they've ever lived in, first bed ever slept in that's their own. It's their first new set of clothing," Leek said.
Providence House will serve at least 250 children yearly at the East Side location.
Their safety is at the facility's core—with reinforced walls, windows and plenty of cameras inside and outside of the building.
Wellness is topping the list.
"Every one of our kiddos gets a wellness check when they arrive at Providence House. Unfortunately because of situations that their families might be dealing with—they might not have been to the doctor since they were babies," Kaitlyn Lionti, Providence House Marketing and Communication Director, said.
The facility's ground floor is home to the children's education center, dining space, and the new sprawling crisis nursery with cribs and bassinets.
There are also plenty of play areas—where little ones can play on the playground on a nice day.
"This is a space where our crawlers and babies have their own. No one can stomp on fingers here," Leek said.
The need for a haven is critical, keeping children out of foster care and away from adoption.
The non-profit has a 99% rate of children reuniting with their families.
"The West Side campus is celebrating its 44th anniversary this year. Sixteen thousand children stayed on that campus," Leek said.
On the upstairs floors, you'll find the family resiliency and preservation center and staff offices.
It takes a community and a village, and Leek says they're ready to dive in.
"No matter what they're going through—we're gonna help them navigate it," Leek said.
Providence House's new Buckeye Road location will serve newborns to kids 12 years old.
It is 100% free of charge for up to 90 days at a time.
Providence House is also actively fundraising to help build a Community Services Hub there.
It would be open and available for anyone in the area.
They aim to start construction in the near future on that multi-million-dollar project.
We will Follow-Through on the development.
Providence House is currently seeking volunteers and staff to help care for children.
For more information and ways to apply/donate to their mission and projects, click here.
