The overview
Students returning this fall to the Developmental Childcare Program at Respite Care of San Antonio will benefit from two recent grant awards, according to a news release.
Respite Care received $100,000 from nonprofit organization Impact San Antonio in November for new classroom equipment, furnishings and educational materials.
In May, the Moody Foundation of Galveston awarded Respite Care a two-year, $250,000 Education M-Pact Grant, providing a total of $500,000 to help the San Antonio organization fund its operations and support a recent expansion from five to seven classrooms, including two dual-language classrooms.
Respite Care of San Antonio has supported families caring for children with developmental disabilities and complex medical needs since the nonprofit’s founding in 1987.
The release states the grants will help Respite Care leaders provide care for up to 80 children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old. Roughly 70% of Respite Care's students have developmental disabilities or complex medical conditions.
The other 30% of students at Respite Care’s program are mostly their neurotypical siblings, who are also welcome on campus to help create the type of environment students will experience when they enter public schools, the release states.
What they’re saying
Rebecca Helterbrand, president and CEO of Respite Care of San Antonio, said the nonprofit supports children who are often left behind by typical child care centers and helps them onto a path toward a more comprehensive education.
Respite Care provides immunizations, wellness checkups, backpacks containing school supplies and new outfits for its students. Once school starts, the center also provides breakfast, lunch and snacks daily. Respite Care offers on-site access to a medical clinic, and medical services that include feeding tube assistance and seizure care, Helterbrand said.
“Our goal is to make things easier for families that are super stressed with limited resources,” Helterbrand said in a statement. “Parents can simply drop off their children, and we have all the support needed on-site—no diaper bags or lunches need to be packed.”
