The Yolo Crisis Nursery, a program of EMQ FamiliesFirst, was created to provide support for Yolo County families with young children. The goal of the program is to prevent child abuse. The Yolo Crisis Nursery is a safe and healthy place where parents may voluntarily place their children in times of turmoil – 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 is a four bed facility that provides 24-hour care for children who range in age from birth to six. Services are free of charge to parents who 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. A few examples as to why a family may wish to utilize these services include, but are not limited to: poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, substance abuse, or psychiatric/medical hospitalizations.

Emergency day respite services are also available to families that need assistance but do not require overnight care for their children. Situations in which families utilize these services may include legal appointments, job training, job interviews, drug treatment, emergency medical appointments, and more.

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 out last 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. If you have any questions regarding the Yolo Crisis Nursery or need respite while facing a crisis, please call day or night at 530-758-6680, or call toll free 1-877-KIDSPLACE (1-877-543-7752).

The Yolo Crisis Nursery accepts donations, both monetary Donation Link and in-kind Yolo Crisis Nursery Wish List.

The Nursery also utilizes volunteers to support the work of the program. We have 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 complete these forms Volunteer Program Description and Volunteer Application 2008 click here and forward it to our Davis Administrative office, attention to Heather Sleuter.

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.

The Yolo Crisis Nursery is also a part of a Regional Crisis Nursery Collaboration (funded in part by HealthNet and private donations). This collaboration 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 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 a preschool program, license # 573609766.