CREVE COEUR, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Missouri domestic violence shelters can apply for funding from the City of Creve Coeur Domestic Violence Shelter Municipal Court Cost Fund, which helps provide operating expenses for shelters.
The Municipal Court assesses a fee of $3 to each defendant who pleads guilty or is found guilty, on all ordinance violations.
Since this fund started, more than $357,942.72 has been distributed to area organizations including, but not limited to, The Salvation Army, Lydia’s House, ALIVE, the Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, International Crisis Aid, and The Women’s Safe House.
“Domestic violence shelters provide critical resources to domestic abuse survivors,” Melissa Bradford with the City of Creve Coeur said. “These shelters can receive additional money to support their daily cost and ultimately support their mission to empower domestic abuse survivors in our community.”
In 2023, over $7,000 was distributed from the fund.
The St. Louis Crisis Nursery has been on the receiving end of this funding for more than 10 years.
“We couldn’t do the work that we do every day with families without that critical support from people who also believe in our mission,” Program Quality and Evaluation Director Lindsay Kyonka said.
The crisis nursery offers wrap-around services for families, including a safe place for kids to stay for hours or even days when there is a crisis.
“We think a lot about safer planning and safest planning based on family situations because just saying leave the situation isn’t always appropriate for every family and every situation,” Kyonka said. “That case manager is working with that parent to make sure that kids have a safer and more stable environment when they leave.”
Kyonka said more than 95% of parents they work with achieve those family safety goals.
At the crisis nursery, Kyonka said they have art, play and music therapy for the kids.
“When they are seeing a lot of challenging things going on in their household and the ways in which that impacts them,” Kyonka said. “Being able to provide that support for our little ones is so vital. They’re in a space where they can tell their stories and a space where they feel safe to do that. We can help them develop some coping and resiliency skills.”
The St. Louis Crisis Nursery has five 24-hour nursery locations in the region, including one in South St. Louis City, one in North St. Louis County, two in St. Charles City and one in Wentzville.
Kyonka said they receive more than 200 calls a year from parents facing intimate partner violence, and that number continues to go up.
“We see families that come in from all different walks of life and parents that never thought they’d find themselves in this situation,” Kyonka said.
Kyonka said the crisis nursery serves over 4,500 kids a year across the region.
The deadline to submit applications is Friday, November 1, 2024.
Call (314) 872-2519 for an application, or visit the city’s website at www.crevecoeurmo.gov/DVSF. Completed applications with supporting material should be submitted to: City of Creve Coeur, Attn: Lori Obermoeller, Director of Finance, 300 N. New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, MO 63141 or emailed to lobermoeller@crevecoeurmo.gov.
The crisis nursery does have a 24/7 helpline. You can call 314-768-3201.
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