Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery is looking to the state Legislature for some warranted help in easing red tape. Rep. Shirley Hankins, R-Richland, this week introduced legislation to create separate licensing rules for crisis nurseries, which provide emergency child care. Safe Harbor in Kennewick is one of only two crisis nurseries in the state and among about 15 in the nation. It just emerged from its busiest month ever, having logged 175 visits by children.
Supporters call the nursery an emergency room for child care.
Children from newborn to age 8 can stay at Safe Harbor for 72 hours while families sort through problems or make other arrangements for child care. The nursery does not provide routine day care, but will look after children if parents find themselves in a tight spot and don't have any safe alternatives. Still, state regulations have been slow to acknowledge the unique characteristics of crisis nurseries, forcing regulators to license them as child care centers. To shoehorn the nurseries into a child care license, state officials have to waive numerous rules, a waste of paperwork and time. Hankins' bill would create a separate category for crisis nurseries and allow them to care for children from birth through age 18 around the clock for up to seven days.