Thirty-two years ago, Bill Bialkowsky was a young father and husband living in Spokane and working as a sales rep for an oil company. He had zero experience with social services or professional child care, much less any knowledge about how to start and run a nonprofit. 

That changed after Bialkowsky read 2-year-old Vanessa Behan’s death certificate in 1982. He was stunned that the little girl had died after suffering terrible abuse by one or both of her parents. At trial, Vanessa’s stepfather, the alleged perpetrator, was found innocent when Vanessa’s mother refused to testify against him in court, Bialkowsky says. 

The outcome of the trial and the sadness surrounding Behan’s death drove Bialkowsky to find a way to establish a facility in the Spokane community where children would be safe from child abuse.  He envisioned a crisis nursery which would provide short-term, 24-hour care to children, protecting them from crisis situations that could lead to abuse or neglect.

Through the efforts of Bialkowsky and the generosity of the Spokane community, funds were raised to purchase a 1920s-era home that was renovated and opened as the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery in 1987. In its first year, 427 children received care.

The need for the crisis nursery’s services grew and after a capital campaign was launched in the late 1980s, a new, larger facility was built in 2000. Today, the crisis nursery takes in about 4,000 children every year.  Since 1987, the nursery has provided a safe haven for more than 80,000 children.

Journal: How did you conceive of the idea of a crisis nursery? 

Bill Bialkowsky: During the months after the trial, my family and I were visiting friends in Phoenix, and we were discussing the case and talking about doing something in the fight against child abuse. Our friends mentioned that there was a crisis nursery there in Phoenix. I talked with the director of that program and was very impressed. I decided then and there I would come back to Spokane and get involved in whatever program existed like that. I learned there was nothing here, and further, that there was really no such thing in the Pacific Northwest. 

Journal: How did you start the process of creating the nonprofit crisis nursery you visualized?

BB: I gathered some friends together, and we put together a board which originally had six members: an accountant, an attorney, a stenographer, a fundraiser, a pediatrician, and myself. I started going out into the community and speaking to service clubs and community organizations. The Spokane Valley Rotary made the first major donation, which was followed by support from the Comstock Foundation.  

I thought it would take about a year to get the facility up and running. It took us about five years, but the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery opened on Jan. 9, 1987. 

Journal: How did you raise funds to buy the home you chose at the original location, renovate it, and support the nursery as it grew? 

BB: The location was originally a single-family residence. We bought in the 1980s, renovated it, and we spent the first 13 years there. After that, we were bursting at the seams. 

In order to expand, we raised funds the same way we did initially. We ran a capital fundraising campaign and we bought the two houses next door when they became available. We demolished those and constructed the 12,000-square-foot building and moved into it in 2000.

Journal: How is the nursery supported?

BB: One of the things I’m most proud of is that we’re supported through private donations and contributions. 

We do not take tax dollars of any kind. 

I have never worked for the nursery, and I have never received any compensation. 

We started with a budget of $350,000 that first year, and today our budget is more than $1.5 million. And 100 percent of the donations we receive go to support the nursery.

We were fortunate to attract people who were willing to roll up their sleeves and work to make this happen. One of the keystones to establish a nonprofit is that no one on the board receives any compensation. 

Journal: Why was it important to you not to take any governmental support?

BB: The reason I don’t like government supporting philanthropic organizations is that I’ve seen so many philanthropic organizations, good ones, fallen by the wayside when they depended too strictly on government agencies. It’s either feast or famine. 

Our philosophy was that we would work hard at fundraising activities, and we could broaden our financial base. I had hoped that the Spokane community would come forward and support us, and that has happened. 

Journal: How does the crisis nursery operate? 

BB: That is another thing of which I’m very proud. The crisis nursery has been open 24/7, 365 days a year since it opened. We closed one time for three days in 1996 when we lost power as a result of the ice storm. Aside from that, we’ve been open continually. Our volunteers, bless their souls … Spokane is a very giving community and we are a testament to that fact. 

We now take care of more kids in a month than we did during the entire first year. 

Journal: How many employees and volunteers work here?

BB: The crisis nursery employs 50 staff members, and we currently have about 115 volunteers. Last year, we provided care to 4,300 families. 

Journal: Do you have to turn away requests for care?

BB: Last year, we turned away about 1,600 requests for care. Every year, we have to turn away about 30 percent of those requesting care. 

We turn requests for care down because we either do not have the staff, or the physical space to care for them. We are state-mandated to provide one caregiver for every four children.

Journal: How old are the children who receive care?

BB: We accept children ages zero to six, and we’re one of only a few agencies who care for infants. 

Journal: What is the reasoning behind the ages of the children care for here?

BB: There are two reasons for the zero to six age range. Statistically, those ages are at the highest risk for abuse and neglect. And we think we can have the biggest impact on who these people will become. 

Journal: How long do children stay at the crisis nursery?

BB: Children can stay up to three days at a time here. While here, they receive food, clothing, diapers, and anything else they might need. They’re lovingly cared for by house parent staff and trained volunteers. 

Journal: Who determines how the nursery operates?

BB: Child Protective Services, (Washington state Department of Social and Health Services) established the guidelines under which we operate. Our facility is not a day care or children’s home. Our guidelines are different because we’re a one-of-a-kind facility. 

Journal: What other services do you offer?

BB: We offer free parenting classes many times throughout the year. We also offer crisis counseling to parents who may need advice and support. Referrals to outside agencies are also made. 

Journal: Can you talk about the challenges you’ve experienced running this type of organization?

BB: Security is a big challenge. We have to protect the identity of these children. We can’t afford to let our guard down even for a second. Security is a big thing. 

We’re also constantly on guard to make sure we’re not (taken advantage of). We offer this free service but we don’t want parents to drop the kids off and go downtown and drink beer all day. 

We screen parents, and we need to know why they’re here … what their situation is. We want to steer them in the direction to resolve their issues, and we put them in touch with resources to help them do that. It is our job to take care of the kids and make sure they are safe. 

We receive a lot of special needs kids, and we often see kids who are turned away from other care facilities. Sometimes we’re the only resource a parent has. 

We provide respite care only. We will administer medications with the parents’ consent but beyond that, there we don’t provide medical or psychological care. 

Journal: What have you seen in terms of trends and the need for such care in this community? Has the incidence of child abuse gone up?

BB: Child abuse is on the rise. We don’t know if it’s because there is more awareness, or whether there is more reporting of child abuse. We know there are more people who are concerned, and more people are identifying and seeing abuse more. We would like to think that is the case. Whatever it is, child abuse is on the rise. I believe that we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg here. 

Journal: What are your goals for the future of the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery?

BB: We want to maximize the facility we have. The number of children we can care for is based on the numbers of caregivers we have. We have to say no to too many people. We don’t have the infrastructure to do that. We’re trying hard to raise the funds to maximize the facility. 

We have the ability in this facility to take on more kids if we had more people. Our number one goal is to take care of any child who is threatened with abuse in Spokane. 

Journal: You seem very empathetic toward parents. You have two grown children. Any grandchildren?

BB: Yes, we have four grandchildren. 

I tell parents that even under good conditions—if you have a couple of toddlers and/or a baby in the house, it takes a lot of help, encouragement, and backup to make sure parents retain their sanity. 

I tell parents there are no questions asked when you bring a child here. Don’t hesitate to give the crisis nursery a call.