Residential
Children's Homes

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Trauma-Informed Care

for Children removed as a result of abuse and neglect

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RCSA Staff plays with child.

Like other children’s foster shelters, Respite Care of San Antonio's Residential Children's Homes operate 24/7/365 to provide protection and urgent essential needs (shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and care) to children in crisis removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect.

Unlike other shelters, our program is dedicated to serving children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions. This vulnerable population needs extra resources to overcome the consequences of medical neglect and inadequate care.

Our Residential Children's Homes

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The Davidson Respite House opened in 1997 with funding from the Davidson Family and community, to offer emergency respite and serve abused and neglected children with special needs.
In 2010, Harvey E. Najim donated the Najim Family Respite House.

MEDICAL CARE

The Program provides a holistic, comprehensive continuum of care that provides supports essential to the mental and physical healing of children with disabilities and complex medical conditions who have experienced abuse or neglect. RCSA’s Children’s Homes offer a unique combination of critical services, such as:

  • Case Management
  • Medical Care
  • Medication Management
  • Coordinated Therapy
  • External Specialty Care
  • Trauma-Informed Care

UT Health operates an on-site medical clinic at RCSA. A UT Health nurse practitioner is on-site at least eight hours weekly for well and sick child visits and nurses are on-site during the week. Program Case Managers and caregivers work with the UT Health Medical team to ensure effective collaboration with providers and external specialists.

Nurse feeding a young boy through G-tube.
Woman caregiver feeds a baby with special needs.

COMPASSIONATE CARE

Program caregivers provide children with compassionate care, structure, behavioral and life skills training, and coaching. They complete 30 hours of pre-service training and more than 50 hours of annual training on topics such as:

  • addressing adverse childhood experiences through trauma informed care
  • social isolation
  • fostering self-esteem

Children engage in family-style dining, playground time, enriching childhood experiences, and field trips. Staff enroll school-age children in San Antonio schools and help them complete assignments, advance in school, and reach their full potential.

Program Impact

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Boy in a wheelchair and girl look into aquarium.

Respite Care of San Antonio's Residential Children's Homes improve the health and development of children with disabilities & complex medical conditions who have been removed from their home due to neglect and/or abuse.

In the short-term, RCSA increases access to medical/specialty care, proactively identifies medical issues, improves health outcomes, stabilizes untreated/undertreated conditions, and ensures consistent medical management.

Long-term, children reach their optimal developmental potential and are better off as they age. RCSA’s comprehensive care model helps children heal from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and improve functionality, and physical/mental well-being.

Two children playing police officers at video console.
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