The Yolo Crisis Nursery keeps the youngest and most vulnerable children, birth to age five, safe during times of family crisis. The nursery provides emergency respite care for children when their families are facing crisis or hardship, providing a safe environment and supervision for children day or night. Families are also supported to connect with community resources to reduce isolation, lower stress levels and resolve the crisis or hardship.

Background

Since instances of child abuse or neglect significantly increase when caregivers experience high levels of stress without resources, support or relief, the Yolo Crisis Nursery was opened in 2001 with the goal of preventing child abuse. The Yolo Crisis Nursery is a safe and healthy place where parents may voluntarily place their children in times of turmoil.

A few examples as to why a family may use our overnight services include, but are not limited to, poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse, or psychiatric/medical hospitalizations. Families choose day respite services to help with legal appointments, job training, job interviews, drug treatment, emergency medical appointments, and more.

Services

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is a four bed facility that provides 24-hour care for young children free of charge. Parents place their children in the nursery on a voluntary basis. Children can stay overnight at the Nursery for as little as 24-hours and as long as 30 days at a time. Emergency day respite services are also available to families that need assistance but do not require overnight care for their children.

Parents, with assistance from the Crisis Nursery social worker, are required to develop a Case Plan, which focuses on both the child's immediate needs as well as the parent/guardian's needs. The program relies on connecting parents/guardians with other community resources and works in collaboration with resources for parents/guardians that will outlast their child's stay in the nursery.

Other Yolo Crisis Nursery Services available to families include the following: transportation arrangement, assessment referrals for the children, parenting assistance, nutritional advice, problem-solving assistance, support networks, care packages, and referrals to community resources.

How does a child receive services from this program?
How do I get more information?

If you have any questions regarding the Yolo Crisis Nursery or need respite while facing a crisis, call our office in Yolo County any time, day or night:
Tel (530) 758-6680 or
(877) KIDSPLACE (877) 543-7752) (toll-free)

Support the Nursery - Donate or Volunteer

The Yolo Crisis Nursery accepts donations, both monetary and much-needed items from the Wish List, such as diapers, furniture, clothing, food, and bathroom and kitchen supplies.

The Nursery also offers opportunities for volunteers to work directly with the children in our care, providing additional support to the Nursery staff. For more information about how to become a volunteer click here or call the Nursery at (530) 758-6680. If you wish to volunteer, please read the Volunteer Program Description and complete the Volunteer Application. Once completed, please forward your application to Heather Sleuter.

Friends of the Yolo Crisis Nursery

We also have a special group of volunteers known as the Friends of the Yolo Crisis Nursery. Their focus is on fundraising and outreach for the Nursery, and a volunteer application is not required. For more information or to join the Friends of the Yolo Crisis Nursery, please contact
Becky Heard, president, by email or phone at (530) 758-6680.

Community Collaboration

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is part of the Regional Crisis Nursery Collaboration. The Collaboration (funded in part by HealthNet and private donations) meets on a monthly basis with the Sacramento Crisis Nursery and the KARE Crisis Nursery in Nevada County to support the crisis nursery programs in these communities, address legislative concerns regarding state regulations that affect these programs, and to support other community organizations in creating crisis nurseries in counties around the state. The Yolo Crisis Nursery is solely dependent on private donations and does not receive any funding by the Regional Nursery Collaborative or HealthNet.

License

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is licensed by the State of California’s Community Care Licensing Division. The overnight (group home) license number is 577001738. The day respite services operate under two child care licenses: for infant and toddler care, license #573609767; and for preschool program, license # 573609766.

** All services are not offered in every county. Please call client services (408) 379-3796 for more information.