Established as a program of the Alcohol & Other Drugs Council in 1991, the Children’s Safe House is a licensed group foster home located near the downtown area of Kenosha across the street from Frank Elementary School. The large, two-story house has seven bedrooms, a large play area, a living and dining area and a well-equipped kitchen. A small wing attached to the house provides a conference/education room, and three offices, two of which are suitable for counseling. The house is well equipped with a variety of books and toys and there is a spacious fenced-in back yard for the children to play in. Laundry facilities are located in the basement along with extra storage space for donated clothes. The council office is about ten (10) blocks away.

The Children’s Safe House provides child care and family support services designed to assist families in crises, prevent the abuse and neglect of children, and increase family stability. Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Specific services include;

Child Care Services:

• Crisis Nursery Program provides emergency and planned child care services for children, aged 12 and younger, from low income families. Children are accepted at any time, day or night and all services are free of charge. Families may utilize the child care services for a number of reasons— they need “time-out” from the constant demands of child rearing, they are feeling overwhelmed due to a crisis situation such as an illness or death in the family, and/or, they or a community agency have identified the need to place the children in a safe environment to avoid the possibility of abuse and neglect. Services are available for up to 30 days per year per child.

• Emergency Foster Care provides short-term foster care services to Kenosha County children who require emergency child care because of familial dysfunction associated with substance abuse, child abuse and/or neglect or any related stressors. Children, ages birth to 12 years, who are abused, neglected or are living in high at-risk situations of abuse or neglect are the primary population served.

• Parent In Recovery Child Care Program (PRCCP) serves children from birth to 12 years from low-income families who need child care to facilitate the parents’ involvement in formal substance abuse treatment, self-help groups, certain designated support services and, if need be, short-term detoxification or inpatient treatment. In addition to providing direct child care services, the program also provides information on the special needs of drug affected children and children of alcoholics to the community.

Family Support Services:

• Information and Referral Services: Safe House staff provide families with information on community resources such as health care including substance abuse treatment, housing, unemployment, education, parenting skills and emergency aid.

• Parenting Classes and Support Groupsprovide instruction in child development, positive parenting and healthy lifestyles, problem solving techniques, and opportunities for parents to share their experiences and concerns with peers. Classes are based on the Nurturing Program and are offered every week at the Children’s Safe House. On-site child care is also provided.

• Supervised Visitation Program provides either monitored or direct supervision for parents who have had their children removed and are in the process of completing necessary parenting programs and court ordered activities in order to be get their children back. This program is facilitated in collaboration with the Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin (CSSW).