Close
Providence House

Info for Parents of Children at Providence House

Parents reaching out to Providence House face a range of crisis situations which make them unable or unavailable to safely care for their children while they address their family’s needs.  

Often parents with children in our care are being admitted for their own inpatient medical, mental health or substance abuse services, or because they are incarcerated. Some families using our services are homeless, have unsafe housing or face community violence. 

Reading

Children's Bedroom at Providence House

What to expect when your child is at Providence House

When your children stay at Providence House, they are cared for by safe and loving strangers; but those caregivers are still not their mom. You will be able to visit with your children, or talk to them on the phone, and we reassure them that you love them very much and can’t wait to see them again! Every child admitted to Providence House is monitored and assessed by a Licensed Social Worker throughout their admission period. It is the goal that the admission at Providence House will have a lasting and positive impact on their growth and development and sense of security.

Children's Bedroom at Providence House

We place tremendous value on continued contact between you and your children during the course of a child’s admission with a goal toward healthy family reunification. In fact, it is an admission requirement that all parents/guardians visit with their children on a regular basis during their stay (two times a week for at least one hour is the recommended minimum). Visits are often held on-site in a comfortable visitation room to allow you to spend quality private time with your child(ren).

Visits are also done offsite, in one of two ways. You can take your children on a day visit, spending time together offsite and returning by early evening in order to be present for our bedtime routine. At the discretion of our Licensed Social Workers, children can also spend time with you offsite for up to two nights in a row, provided that there is adequate housing and/or a safe environment to support the child.

Our Licensed Social Workers will work one-on-one with you to specifically address crises and provide a compassionate listening ear. It is our goal that we can help you achieve family stability.

Children on the playground at Providence House

What Other Parents Have Said

The following comments were made recently by parents on their discharge satisfaction surveys:

"This is a wonderful environment. You are all angels and helped me through one of the most challenging times of my family's life."

"Providence House came through at the perfect time because I was considering giving up custody of my children. I was ready to give up. This break helped me to de-stress and re-evaluate my situation and restored hope for me."

"They always helped me discipline my son the right way and give me tips to succeed on my own at home."

"Providence House provides a safe place for my children and a friendly environment where they could learn and grow and it gave them a positive look on things for the future."

"I believe Providence House is perfect and a great place for children to be if they cannot be with their parent during a crisis situation. I am thankful for help in getting my family's birth certificates, improving my knowledge with parenting, and getting assistance with transportation. Thank you for taking good care of my son when I couldn’t."


Providence House strives to be a good community partner and neighbor, and encourages community members to communicate directly with the agency regarding concerns about the care of the children here, noise level, or facilities, including snow removal or other property upkeep.  A complaint, concern or request for information may be made in writing or by phone.  For more information, view our Community Engagement Plan.

As a member of the ODE National School Lunch Program, the food and nutrition model followed for our children is established by the Ohio Department of Education. Meals provided to the children are nutritious, well-balanced and designed so that, over a period of time, they will provide children the nutrients they need according to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). For more information, view our ODE Wellness Policy.

close