History
The Relief Nursery was developed in Eugene, Oregon in 1976 by a group of concerned citizens who were appalled by the number of children being abused, removed from their homes, and placed in foster care. With a common stance of "We can do better for our children," the women of the Junior League of Eugene joined with Child Protective Services to create the Relief Nursery, a groundbreaking program focused on preventing child abuse and neglect before it occurred by empowering vulnerable families with supportive, comprehensive services.
Based upon the 32 year history of positive outcomes in Oregon, Texas became the first state in the nation to replicate this invaluable program in 2006. The replication process began with the Department of Family and Protective Services, who committed funding to launch this nationally-recognized program.
Thanks to a committed group of parents and local community leaders who invested thousands of voluntary hours, Austin was one of two cities selected to lead the grass-roots expansion, and the Relief Nursery of Central Texas was born. The Relief Nursery of Central Texas opened its doors on October 10, 2008 and has had an overwhelming response from the community! We are currently serving an average of 75 families, 140 individuals a year through all of our programs and services.
The mission of the Relief Nursery is to prevent the cycle of child abuse and neglect by early intervention that focuses on building successful and resilient children, strengthening parents and preserving families.