There was a sweet girl who had been living with us for over five years in the Davidson Respite House. When she arrived, having been removed from her home, she had been diagnosed with multiple conditions leaving her medically fragile and was unable to walk on her own or communicate. As you can imagine, her medical and developmental concerns made it very difficult to find a forever family for her. When she did leave this past summer to join her loving new family, she was walking on her own and communicating with a combination of verbal cues and the use of a communication device!

This month RCSA assisted a parent who needed resources for food and clothes for her children. This parent has utilized respite care services since 2019 and currently utilizes the family day out program on Saturdays. The parent disclosed that although they utilize the food bank as a resource, they were still in need of additional food items as she now has 4 small children. This parent was able to receive a $250.00 H-E-B Gift Card and she could not believe the amount. About a week after receiving the gift card the parent emailed the respite care family services manager and told them that they were able to stock their refrigerator and pantry with food and beverages. She was very thankful and appreciative of the assistance. She wanted to thank whom provided the gift card and I asked that she share her story and I would share with them. She states that she was relieved as she didn’t know if they would have food or food items to get them through the new month. Parent gave consent to share her story of needing food assistance.

We have a 9-year-old girl that was placed with us back in May of 2022. Prior to living at the Davidson Respite House (DRH) this girl had never been to school. Her entire life was spent taking care of her brother with special needs and trying to survive day to day. She and her brother were found abandoned in an empty building where her mother and aunt had left them. In the month of August, she was enrolled in school by RCSA. She was very nervous, but excited to be awarded the opportunity to learn. She picked up quickly and loved school from the start! She made tons of friends and loves the fact that she can be herself around her peers. The staff have been working diligently with her on her homework as well as providing some tutoring for her after school. She brought her first report card home this week and this beautiful, loving, and smart girl had straight A's!

This month RCSA staff and administrators assisted a family in enrolling their child with Down Syndrome into RCSA. The family only needed Mother’s Day out services on Mondays and Wednesdays and occasionally on Saturdays. Raising a child with special needs was different for mom and dad and once mom and dad saw that their child was progressing in their milestones, they decided that they would enroll in the full-time respite daycare. Over several months their child began to open up more around peers and began exhibiting more independence. Mom and dad shared and expressed their gratitude for Respite Care and shared that they will continue to utilize RCSA services as long as they could. The following video shares a glimpse of the family that has agreed to share their story.

In the month of August, we had one of our dearest children adopted to a beautiful family in Colorado. This child had been living with RCSA for over 5 years and had a slew of medical conditions that made it challenging to find a family for her. Due to the tremendous hard work and dedication of the RCSA team along with the assistance of all the great medical professionals that helped along the way this child had overcome many of her developmental delays. Upon admission, this child was not ambulating, nor did she have a steady gait. She was unable to communicate through sign language or verbal cues. We were honored and thrilled that prior to leaving to her new adoptive family, she was ambulating on her own, had a steady gate, and was effectively communicating! Her mode of communication was a combination of her communication device as well as some verbal. RCSA was excited to receive an update video that showed her signing karaoke loud and proud with her new family by her side.

RCSA’s Family Support Services Coordinator was able to assist a young couple who called to inquire about respite care. The couple stated that they were looking for part-time care a few times a month. After discussing the various programs RCSA has to offer, the young parents decided that they would like to register for RCSA services and utilize the Parents Night Out and Family Day Out programs. The parents stated that they have two children, ages 5 and 2 and that it is hard finding adequate care since their 5-year-old son has autism; sibling is neuro-typical. They further stated that they have no support system as their immediate family is uncomfortable in caring for their child with special needs. The young parents were also in the process of building their small business and finding adequate care that would accept both children was essential. The young couple began to utilize the day/night our programs immediately after registering for services. They expressed that this has been a light at the end of a dark tunnel for them as they now have peace of mind knowing that their children are being cared for and that they can have some respite to have time as a couple and to continue to grow their small business which is an "on the go" car & truck wash and detailing company. The parents have also expressed relief and appreciation as they stated they feel less overwhelmed and that a small respite can make a big difference. Both parents gave consent to for their story to be shared.