What's in a name?

Nerheim translates to near home in Norwegian, which is quite fitting. But where does it come from? Why Nerheim? Cue 1905 in rural Ølen, Norway, where a young boy explores a farm called Nerheim. Not only was this young boy an orphan, but he would also one day become our founder Julie's paternal grandfather. Now that’s rich history. You might say that her longing to create a home has always been in her blood, and Julie would agree!

One might ask, aren’t the children living at Nerheim already home? In the physical sense, yes they are. But the journey begins far before a child steps onto the farm. In first seeing Nerheim and considering a move there, the child is only near home. And this journey, this decision to move to Nerheim, can be a long one.  Even after the child is welcomed through our doors, the path to accepting Nerheim as home may be tumultuous and transformational. We do not expect this growth to happen overnight, and are supportive no matter the time it may take; a week, a year, a decade. Although the process may be effortless for some, we understand it will be fought tooth and nail for others, as the overwhelming love and acceptance at Nerheim contradicts what home may have been before.