Established in 1986, Crisis Nursery offers year-round, 24-hour care at five Nurseries throughout the city and county of St. Louis, St. Charles County and Wentzville. Whether a parent discovers the need for intervention in the early morning, during the midday or in the evening, Crisis Nursery child abuse prevention programs and services are always available at no cost.

Here are helpful tips to help increase child safety and prevent abuse and neglect:

Positive Parenting and Relaxation Tips
Change perspectives – Try to see situations from your child’s point of view. It may help you to understand their thought process and find solutions that work for everyone involved.
Take a mental break – If you feel overwhelmed, take your child to a safe, secure area in the home and then retreat to a calm, uplifting space you have reserved for yourself.
Make it a family affair – Don’t overwhelm yourself with chores; delegate responsibilities to capable individuals in your household.

Summertime Child Safety Tips
Keep kids hydrated and cool – Children are more susceptible and have a higher incidence of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke when temperatures are high. Children should be reminded to drink plenty of fluids and take breaks indoors.
Never leave a child unattended in a car – A child should never be locked in a car, even if the windows are open. The temperature inside a car can soar within minutes. When the outside temperature is over 80 degrees, the internal temperature in a car can reach a deadly 110 degrees in just 15 minutes, even if the windows are rolled down an inch or two.
Apply sunscreen daily – To prevent sunburn, apply a good sunblock, even early in the morning, late in the afternoon and on a cloudy day. Apply a thick layer of sunscreen to each exposed section of your child’s body and reapply every few hours, especially if the child is in the water. And don’t forget sunglasses with UV protection.

Tips for Dealing with Special Needs Children
Analyze problems thoroughly – Propose solutions for the things over which you have control.
Use time management – Do a time use audit. Compare time use with priority of goals.
Develop assertiveness – Learn about your child’s problems and needs so that you can be an active participant in their activities.
Address physiological stressors – Recognize that children with special needs require exceptional amounts of energy. In order to replenish energy, parents need to be sure they get sufficient rest, eat well balanced meals, and exercise vigorously.
Use other stress-reducing strategies – Make recreation and relaxation a priority, so that you have some time off during the week. Studies have shown that psychologically healthy families have "less-than-perfect" housekeeping. (source: www.myaspergerschild.com <http://www.myaspergerschild.com>)

To schedule an interview, or for more information about Crisis Nursery programs, please contact Val Joyner, Crisis Nursery public relations manager, at 314.292.5570.

The Saint Louis Crisis Nursery is committed to preventing child abuse and neglect by offering real help and real hope to families in crisis. The Crisis Nursery is an independent, not-for-profit agency providing short-term, safe havens to 7,000 children a year, birth through age 12, whose families are faced with an emergency or crisis. The Crisis Nursery provides care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at five sites, serving families throughout the greater St. Louis, St. Charles, Southern Illinois and surrounding regions. Since 1986, the Crisis Nursery has cared for more than 74,000 children, and provided support and counseling to more than 88,500 families. For details, call (314) 292-5770 or visit www.crisisnurserykids.org <http://www.crisisnurserykids.org/>. For the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery 24-hour helpline, call (314) 768-3201. In St. Charles County, call (636) 947-0600.