By Edmond Ortiz
Bexar County will explore the creation of a program that local officials and children’s advocates say will help protect at-risk minors while their adult caregivers contend with particular difficulties.
What is a crisis nursery
Commissioners Court unanimously voted July 7 to direct county staff to develop a crisis nursery, which would offer pathways toward short-term placement for youngsters of parents or guardians who are struggling with problems that could lead to domestic abuse or child neglect. A crisis nursery is open around-the-clock, and the length of stay depends on the child’s situation.
Barbara Schafer, administrator for Bexar County children’s court division and programs, said a crisis nursery would help to prevent injury, trauma or neglect from affecting the child in question, and would ensure the youngster receives the appropriate trauma-informed care and the parents/guardians receive a service plan.
A crisis nursery would also help to reduce direct Child Protective Services intakes by keeping at-risk minors out of a larger system where they may otherwise become a ward of the state.
Additionally, the involved child(ren) and parent(s) would receive referrals for assistance and community resources for their specific situations.
If fully realized, Bexar County could operate Texas’ first such crisis nursery. A conceptually similar avenue exists with the city of San Antonio, where the budget allocates funds to City Council members who assist eligible residents who apply for short-term childcare during an emergency or extenuating circumstance. But the application window is only open at certain times of the year.
“The process doesn’t replace any existing services. This program serves as a bridge between the family’s immediate crisis and the community resources that help to prevent the crisis from having an effect,” Schafer said. “In many ways, this is one of the earliest forms of child abuse prevention because it addresses stress before stress becomes neglect.”
The problems
According to Schafer, Bexar County needs a crisis nursery because child care shortages remain plentiful in the San Antonio area. She said domestic violence is a major contributor to family instability, something that is often exacerbated by medical or mental health challenges, substance abuse, poverty, and/or housing instability.
Schafer provided further data:
- 22% of Bexar County children are living in poverty
- 14% of Bexar County households earn less than the federal poverty level
- 45% of Bexar County households do not earn enough money to meet basic living expenses
- 18,700-plus victims were the source of child abuse and neglect investigations in Bexar County in 2025
- Nearly 2,000 children are currently living in foster care in Bexar County
- 13 child deaths reported in Bexar County in 2025 were attributed to abuse or neglect
Without a crisis nursery, adult caregivers dealing with immediate troubles such as unemployment, mental health issues or other parenting difficulties often find themselves and their child in potentially dangerous situations, or leave their child with a less than ideal caregiver.
In such situations, Schafer said, adults responding to an emergency – including police investigators and attending medical personnel – scramble to find supervision for the affected child. In many instances, the situation escalates to where the child quickly lands in the CPS system.
“Families continue to struggle with horrible child care, particularly during evenings, weekends, and emergencies,” Schafer explained. “When traditional child care isn’t available, domestic violence continues to affect thousands of families each year, leading to partner situations where there’s no immediate, safe caregiver.”
Sheriff Javier Salazar said law enforcement officers are frustrated by instances where it is hard to immediately locate a safe, reliable, available caregiver to take in a child who is potentially at risk of abuse, neglect or other dangers at a home in crisis.
“Those who are most affected by all of these situations – domestic violence situations, crisis situations – are also the least in control of the situation,” Salazar added.
What comes next
When they next meet July 21, commissioners expect county staff to provide nursery cost estimates, potential funding sources, appropriate procurement methodology as well as potential qualified vendors for developing the program.
County leaders agreed family violence and child neglect are significant problems that are compounded by socioeconomic issues that have lingered in the San Antonio area for years.
County Judge Peter Sakai, who oversaw children’s court issues for decades prior to his election as the county’s top elected executive, said a crisis nursery is an avenue by which parents or guardians in crisis can address their emergency while knowing their child is safe with a reliable caregiver for the time being.
“We are moving away totally from mission creep, and we are empowering parents who want help and don’t have to turn to CPS,” Sakai added.
