Cardinal Blase J. Cupich dedicates reconstructed Center for Children

May 7, 2018 — Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, dedicated Maryville’s newly reconstructed Center for Children on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The center houses Maryville’s Crisis Nursery and Children’s Healthcare Center. The Crisis Nursery provides emergency child care for families in crisis. The Children’s Healthcare Center provides medical care for children with complex conditions.
“Maryville’s Center for Children is an example of the Church providing critical care and loving support to the most vulnerable among us,” said Cardinal Cupich. “It’s important to put a spotlight on the needs of children and families at risk and in crisis. There is value in every human life and no one should be left behind.”

The Center for Children recently completed a $2.5 million campaign to fund reconstruction to make the building a welcoming, accessible facility and to expand capacity. The nursery and the healthcare center are among very few facilities in the area providing these kinds of services and the demand far outpaces the center’s capacity. Every year hundreds of families must be turned away.

“Both of these programs help us fulfill our mission to care for children and strengthen families,” Maryville Executive Director Sister Catherine M. Ryan said. “There are so many people who need these services and this reconstruction will help us to serve more people who need us.”

The Crisis Nursery has provided temporary shelter for almost 7,000 children since it opened in 2006. The nursery also offers parental support programs. It sponsors Parent Cafes where parents can come together to talk about the struggles they sometimes face. The campaign will allow the nursery to expand its home visiting program for families with children ages newborn to three, when children are most at risk for neglect or abuse.

The Children’s Healthcare Center is one of only three such facilities in Illinois. The center provides transitional nursing care between hospital to home for children with complex medical needs. Parents and caregivers learn how to operate medical equipment like ventilators so they can safely care for their children at home. This program significantly reduces hospital readmissions.