SAN ANTONIO, Texas — On Tuesday, August 18, Respite Care of San Antonio and the Safety Nest Network will officially expand our region’s first Crisis Nursery. In Texas, only El Paso offers a crisis nursery, making this effort the only available resource across central Texas. Crisis nurseries are designed to keep children safe, strengthen families, and prevent child abuse and neglect before they occur.
Located at 321 W. Craig Place, Respite Care of San Antonio can provide overnight care for children with disabilities and complex medical needs, care for their siblings, and through the Safety Nest Network collaboration, access to wraparound family support services that help families stabilize while remaining together. Whether a parent is recovering from surgery, escaping domestic violence, securing housing, addressing a mental health crisis, or managing another unexpected emergency, the Crisis Nursery provides a safe, nurturing place for children while families regain their footing.
The need for this type of support has never been greater.
In Bexar County, 22.3% of children live in poverty, while 45% of households do not earn enough income to meet basic household expenses. Housing instability, financial hardship, family violence, medical emergencies, and the relentless demands of caring for children with complex needs can quickly overwhelm even the strongest families. In 2025 alone, 18,752 children in Bexar County were the subject of child abuse and neglect investigations. Thirteen children died because of abuse or neglect, most under the age of three. Today, 1,932 children remain in foster care in Bexar County, and as of May 2026, 594 children were receiving Family-Based Safety Services, underscoring the critical need for early intervention that helps families before crises escalate. In addressing the growing crisis of child abuse, children with disabilities must be prioritized, as they are nearly four times more likely to be a victim of abuse or neglect.
One mother turned to Respite Care when she underwent a double mastectomy as part of her treatment for breast cancer but had nowhere safe for her children to be cared for during her recovery. Other families have sought help while fleeing domestic violence, addressing mental health challenges, securing stable housing, or simply taking a much-needed break from the around-the-clock responsibilities of caregiving for a child.
The Crisis Nursery offers families another option—one rooted in compassion, dignity, and prevention.
“Every parent deserves to know there is somewhere safe to turn before a crisis becomes a tragedy,” said Rebecca Helterbrand, President and CEO of Respite Care of San Antonio.
“The expansion of our region’s first Crisis Nursery represents more than a new building. It represents hope. Families should never have to choose between leaving a child in an unsafe situation and facing a crisis alone. Our goal is simple: keep children safe, keep siblings together whenever possible, and give parents the support they need to recover, stabilize, and move forward. When we support families during their most vulnerable moments, we reduce trauma and create better outcomes for children.”
Over $500,000 in philanthropic investment enabled the fully owned home in Respite Care of San Antonio’s portfolio to be renovated to meet City of San Antonio specifications to convert the facility into a residential home for children. Investors in the home renovation and program funding include The Meadows Foundation, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, the TND Family Foundation, Tres Grace Foundation, Security Service FCU, Reach Resilience, Casey Family Programs, and the San Antonio Medical Foundation.
“The Crisis Nursery model is an innovative approach that leverages trusted organizations already embedded in a community,” said Eric R. Meadows, President & CEO of The Meadows Foundation. “By expanding support for children with complex needs and their families before a crisis leads to abuse, neglect, or family separation, this collaborative model has the potential to strengthen families in San Antonio and provide a scalable blueprint for other cities and communities to provide safer environments for vulnerable children.”
The Crisis Nursery expands the continuum of care already provided by Respite Care of San Antonio. Adjacent to the new facility, the organization’s H-E-B House at 327 W. Craig Place will also be celebrating its renovation. The H-E-B home renovations were funded by Noble Charities and H-E-B. This home provides day, night, and weekend out respite services alongside camps when school is not in session.
Meanwhile, the Davidson Respite Home at 605 Belnap Place re-opened earlier this year after a remodel of children’s bedrooms, murals and more. The Davidson home serves as a residential facility for children with disabilities and complex medical needs, and their siblings who were removed from their home.
The organization also has a developmental childcare center located near its portfolio of homes, rounding out its full continuum of services for families.
Every Respite Care of San Antonio program is staffed by educators, nurses, therapists from community partners, and behavioral health professionals trained to care for children with developmental disabilities, chronic illnesses, and medically complex conditions, while also providing care for their siblings and support for their caregivers.
The Safety Nest Network includes Respite Care of San Antonio, ChildSafe, the YWCA San Antonio, YMCA of Greater San Antonio, AVANCE, Family Service Association, Brighton Center, SJRC Texas | Belong, and UT Health San Antonio.
“The strongest child abuse prevention strategy is helping families before they reach a breaking point,” said Randy McGibeny, President and CEO of ChildSafe.
“The Safety Nest Network gives parents a place to ask for help without fear or judgment. It provides immediate safety for children while connecting families with the resources they need to overcome challenges. This is what prevention looks like when we meet families where they are, preserve relationships, and create a stronger upstream solution for our community.”
As a member of the Safety Nest Network, Respite Care of San Antonio joins a growing national movement committed to reducing child abuse and neglect through voluntary crisis childcare, family support, and community collaboration. The model recognizes that many families do not need foster care intervention; they simply need trusted support during life’s most difficult moments. Rather than waiting until a family reaches a crisis that results in child welfare involvement, the program offers a proactive solution that keeps children safe, keeps siblings together, and helps parents navigate life’s challenges with dignity and support.
Families interested in accessing the Safety Nest Network can call 210-638-8395 to learn more.
About Respite Care of San Antonio
For nearly 40 years, Respite Care of San Antonio has provided support for children with disabilities and complex medical needs through essential programs: Community Respite Programs, a Developmental Childcare Center, and now three 24/7/365 Residential Homes. Through these programs, the organization offers services that provide children with compassionate care, specialized attention, and the opportunity to grow in a nurturing environment.
For more information about Respite Care of San Antonio or to learn how you can support the mission, please visit respitecaresa.org.
About Safety Nest Network
Several years ago, local nonprofits banded together to investigate how to launch a crisis nursery concept in San Antonio and Bexar County. This program has existed in other states for nearly 50 years, demonstrating its powerful prevention outcomes. Previous efforts to implement locally went back 25 years, and the common denominator in failed launches was significant capital investment to create a single center for this purpose, often resulting in a new nonprofit or investment in one nonprofit. The nonprofits engaged realized that together, they had the components and infrastructure of a crisis nursery. Collaboration began in earnest and in late 2025, the partners began offering crisis nursery services to families. With funding, this program can be scaled to meet community need.
Partners join via a memorandum of understanding, providing case management, childcare, transportation, healthcare, and/or residential services. Partners engaged in the work include ChildSafe, YMCA of San Antonio, YWCA of San Antonio, AVANCE, Family Service Association, Brighton Center, Belong, Respite Care of San Antonio, and UT Health San Antonio.
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