The Therapeutic Nurseries at PACT offer specialized child care, mental health and educational services for children under the age of three and their families who either currently live in homeless shelters or who have experienced homelessness but are now living in the community. The program focuses on mental health interventions to promote parent-child attachment and enhance stability in the family.
Our Services
The Therapeutic Nursery, located at the YWCA, is an Early Head Start and specialized child care center for infants and toddlers whose families are currently living in homeless shelters. Our other Nursery, Family Roots, is located on East Biddle Street, and provides care for infants and toddlers whose families were homeless and are now living in the community.
Both the Therapeutic Nursery and Family Roots offer a variety of services. These include the following:
- Licensed child care through Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Child Care
- Comprehensive Early Head Start program (Therapeutic Nursery only)
- Activities to promote parent-child attachment such as counseling, videotaping parent and child interactions as a training tool, and family tradition groups
- Nursing assessments
- Speech and language, physical, and occupational therapies
- Family support and assistance in accessing community resources
- Statewide parent-child attachment training for professionals
Eligibility
The Therapeutic Nursery provides services to children 8 weeks to 36 months of age and their families who are currently living in homeless shelters in Baltimore City.
Family Roots provides services to Baltimore City children 6 weeks to 36 months of age whose families were homeless and are now living in the community. Families must apply for Department of Social Services Purchase of Care Child Care Vouchers before enrolling in Family Roots.
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 4:00
Referrals and additional information: The Therapeutic Nursery is located in the YWCA building at 128 W. Franklin Street in Baltimore City. Referral sources include local homeless shelters, transitional living programs and social service agencies. Parents may also contact the Therapeutic Nursery directly. For more information, contact Chanay Robbins at 410-783-9461 or robbinsc@kennedykrieger.org. Family Roots is located at a Kennedy Krieger Institute location, 3001-1/2 East Biddle Street in Baltimore City. For more information, please contact Heather Bailey at 443-923-3896 or baileyh@kennedykrieger.org.
