Give from the Heart and Help us Grow
Many of us have felt overwhelmed, vulnerable, and unsure where to turn for help when a family crisis strikes. For the last 21 years, the Nursery has been a haven for children under five years old and their families when they have nowhere to turn. The Nursery is a caring home, a helping hand, and a comprehensive resource for families during times of emergency and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
April is Child Abuse Awareness month. Did you know in 2020, over 47% of all substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect in Yolo County involved a child under age 5? This percentage has exceeded the statewide rate over the past six years. The need for early intervention services to prevent Child Abuse and Neglect in Yolo County is ever present, but it truly skyrocketed during the pandemic. Last year alone, the Yolo Crisis Nursery served 67 percent more families than the previous year.
The Yolo Crisis Nursery’s programs protect children from immediate, grave harm and create long-term change by breaking generational cycles of abuse and neglect. The Nursery’s professionally trauma-trained staff identify and alleviate the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and toxic stress on children’s wellbeing and healthy development. Children are incredibly resilient, with early intervention and trauma informed care, the impact of ACEs can be reduced over time.
The power of the Nursery’s whole family approach is most evident through the successes of our clients. This Yolo Crisis Nursery mom’s dedication to her family and love of her children is awe inspiring. Her love for her daughter motivated her to transform her life. I am honored to share her story in her own words.
“Before I found the Yolo Crisis Nursery, my life consisted of traumatic events and poor choices. I started using drugs as at very young age and was an active drug user and addict. By the time I had my second child, I was in a severely abusive relationship and living on the streets. When that relationship ended, he was sent to prison for abusing me and I was able to seek the help and treatment that I needed.
“When I successfully completed treatment, I was offered re-unification with my children. I was excited to be with my children, and desperately wanted to become something my children could be proud of. I was unemployed, had no transportation and I needed to go back to school. So, I was seeking help from every resource I could find, and fortunately, I found the Yolo Crisis Nursery.
“The Nursery’s services helped me get on my feet and helped my daughter and I succeed in life. My daughter loved the Nursery. She thought it was her second home. The Nursery helped my daughter meet her developmental milestones, while she was at the Nursery her speech improved, she got potty trained, she was having good connections with her teachers. She loved the Nursery it was her second home.
“The Nursery helped me with groceries, clothes and shoes, books and toys. They even sponsored my daughter and I for Christmas – this was HUGE, because it meant I was able to give my kids Christmas.
“My life now is stable. I am five years clean and sober. My children are doing great in school. I am a drug and alcohol counselor in a residential treatment facility. I am no longer homeless. I have reliable transportation and a full-time job. I did not have all this when I met the wonderful people at the Yolo Crisis Nursery. I want to thank Yolo Crisis Nursery for helping my family. We were in severe need of help and the Nursery helped us all the way through. We are so grateful. Thank you.”
Last year the Yolo Crisis Nursery served over 1,000 children and their families with tremendous success. In fact, 99% of the respite care families served by the Nursery last year, did not enter child welfare services.
On Thursday, May 5, the Sacramento Regional Community will come together for the Big Day of Giving or BDOG. It is a 24-hour generosity movement and an opportunity to rally around our local nonprofits. We hope you will give from the heart and help the Nursery grow in 2022 to help more children and families find a brighter future. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference. Thanks to the generosity of The Harvey L. and Maud C. Sorensen Foundation, there has never been a better time to give — the first $20,000 in Big Day of Giving donations to the Yolo Crisis Nursery will be matched by the Foundation dollar-for-dollar!
I am proud to serve on the Yolo Crisis Nursery Board of Directors and thrilled to share that 100 percent of the Nursery’s board members contribute to the Big Day of Giving each year. You can schedule your gift now by visiting our website at www.yolocrisisnursery.org or by mailing a check to 1107 Kennedy Place, Suite 5, Davis, CA 95616, or you can donate online on May 5!
The Nursery has never turned a child in need away and we need your help to meet the increasing need in our community. Please help us build safe, stable, and loving homes for Yolo County children to grow up in.
— This article originally appeared in the Davis Enterprise on Sunday, April 24, 2022. The article is written by Renee Nolte Newton, Yolo Crisis Nursery board member.