Yolo Crisis Nursery

Helping Children and Families Thrive

The Yolo Crisis Nursery was founded after a foster teen named Arty asked a poignant question. He asked “Why didn’t anyone help my mom when I was little? If they had, maybe we could be together now.” 

Arty’s words still resonate today. Nationwide, 1 in 7 children experienced child abuse or neglect last year. Yolo County is not immune: since 2001, the Crisis Nursery has served almost 9,000 children and their families. 

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is a crucial piece of the safety net in Yolo County providing nearly 3,000 safe stays and over 5,200 care packages last year alone. Crisis Nursery staff support, educate, and empower parents so that they create lasting change in their families and so that their children thrive.

These numbers are powerful, but the stories truly illustrate the Nursery’s impact on children and families. Here is one Mom’s story. 

“We encounter some of the most dire situations imaginable 
and work alongside our clients to develop strong and stable home 
environments,” said, Executive Director, Heather Sleuter.  
“Our ultimate goal is to strengthen families and keep them intact. 
There is no greater purpose than helping families heal and thrive.”

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is the only overnight respite care for children under 5 in Yolo County. We are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide emergency childcare and wraparound services for families experiencing the trauma of domestic violence, mental or physical health emergencies, substance abuse, homelessness, sudden job loss, and other profound adversities. For almost 25 years, our preservation-oriented wraparound approach has helped prevent 98% of the families we serve from being referred to Child Protective Services. 

Sadly, abuse and neglect are often cyclical and generational. Children who are abused or neglected are more likely to enter into violent relationships as teens and adults and to grow up to abuse their children, making early intervention essential. The Nursery’s approach helps break this cycle by preventing and stopping irreparable harm to children by working with families to empower them to become stable and thrive.