Bexar County commissioners have directed staff to explore creating a county-backed crisis nursery in San Antonio, a short-term care program for children during family emergencies.
County officials said the model would let parents seek temporary help during situations such as hospitalization, mental health crises, domestic violence or housing instability without giving up custody. Staff were asked to return with recommendations on how the program would operate, what procurement method to use and which organizations might provide the service.
Officials said a crisis nursery could fill a gap for first responders and child welfare systems when children need immediate safe care but do not require foster placement. If the plan moves forward, the county said it could use about $1.6 million that had already been budgeted for Child Protective Services family-based safety support.
The push comes as a coalition of local nonprofits says it has already spent the past eight months operating a similar collaborative program while waiting for the city to release a feasibility study.
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