Last-Minute Grants, Donations Save Yolo Crisis Nursery For Another Year
DAVIS (CBS13) — A strong show of support for the Yolo Crisis Nursery in the form of a series of last-minute donations will help keep it open.
The home that's dedicated to keeping kids safe during times of crisis will stay open after Tuesday's Yolo County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Some girls handed over $200 they raised to help the nursery in its crisis.
"Even though it's not big for the goal that they have, we still wanted to donate and help and give our part," Hayley Benson said.
The help is needed after Yolo Crisis Nursery's backer EMQ Families First pulled its funding in March. EMQ Families First became very well-known last year in Davis when a group home it ran was effectively shut down as allegations of neglect and student-on-student rape surfaced,
The crisis nursery helps keep kids up to five years old safe when their home life becomes unstable.
"Without the nursery, they will either leave their children in an unsafe situation, or they will contact Child Protective Services and request a foster placement," said Heidy Kellison. "We keep families together and we save lives."
The nursery was slated to close next month if new funding didn't come through. On top of the $200 from the young fundraisers, supervisors approved $80,000 in emergency funds on Tuesday.
The Kelly Foundation and Woodland Healthcare kicked in an additional $50,000 each.
From a healthcare standpoint, advocates say the nursery keeps kids out of emergency rooms by preventing abuse and neglect.
The home also received $20,000 from two family foundations, bringing the grant total to $200,000.
"It gets us a full fiscal year closer to securing a new host agency and it saves the Yolo Crisis Nursery," Kellison said.