Photography by Bo Carlock/Spacecrafting
Katie Fitzpatrick
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
“We operate under the principle that choosing our services is the brave choice for your family,” says Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery President Katie Fitzpatrick. “If you say ‘I need help,’ we’re going to do everything in our power to be your champion.”
Fitzpatrick is just five months in to leading the 43-year-old institution, which aims to end child abuse and neglect while providing support to families facing hardships. Her involvement began when she was a volunteer at the Crisis Nursery back in her twenties, passing out evening snacks and rocking babies to sleep.
One memory stands out to her in particular: In a dark and quiet hallway, she came across a childcare worker helping a young boy speaking with his mother on the phone; he had just learned he became a big brother. “It was such a sweet moment, seeing him light up,” she recalls. “It’s a very hope-filled place. We have beautiful moments with the kids.”
The Crisis Nursery offers a 24-hour phone line for parents to request services, and if there’s space, children up to the age of six can stay at the Twin Cities center for 72 hours, up to 10 times a year. Families are met by staff and volunteers who have been trained in The Nursery Way, an evidence-based curriculum developed in partnership with experts at the University of Minnesota that allows them to provide effective care.
While calls have increased by 1,700 from 2025 to 2026, the budget has not. Fitzpatrick says that three nights a week, less than half of the beds are filled because of these constraints. But the importance remains: For those it serves, the Crisis Nursery is more than just a night of respite care. “What do we mean to families?” asks Fitzpatrick. “We are their call for help. Their support system. Their village. The people they need in their worst moments. It’s so crucial that we uphold our mission.”
