RAVE Family Foundation

The Northern Nevada RAVE Family Foundation (RAVE), an acronym for Respite and Volunteer Experiences, started with a single grant from the Department of Health and Human Services in 1992 with a goal of reducing and preventing child abuse and neglect for children with disabilities. The need for respite was so great that RAVE became a 501c3 nonprofit organization just three years later in October 1995.  
The mission of the Northern Nevada R.A.V.E. Family Foundation (RAVE) is to improve the well-being of Nevada families by providing respite to families caring for young and adult children with special needs. RAVE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, accomplishes this by training youth volunteers to care for these exceptional children. RAVE currently has the following center-based respite programs available to accomplish our mission: (1) RAVE Family Center, (2) Jr. RAVE and (3) Teen RAVE.  
RAVE’s dynamic center & community-based programs provide respite care, a much-needed break, to families caring for children with developmental and physical disabilities, including autism, children with mental and behavioral challenges, as well as children in foster and adoptive care. Our programs recruit local junior high and high school student volunteers and train them in the care of children. Most notably, the RAVE Family Center, Jr. RAVE, and Teen RAVE programs offer support services to both the child with a special need, and their siblings who reside in the home. This attention to the whole family fulfills RAVE’s mission to provide comprehensive respite to parents and caregivers to assist them in strengthening their family unit. The RAVE Family Center, Jr. RAVE, and Teen RAVE programs act as a 
supportive, stable environment for children and their families. A supportive, stable environment has been proven to serve as a protective factor in preventing child abuse and neglect. RAVE not only provides caregivers with a break from the extra care their children require from the time they spend at medical and therapeutic appointments, etc., RAVE also creates a space for children to just be kids in a safe, fun, social environment. 
RAVE is proud to provide no-cost respite services to families with special needs, hopefully relieving the financial stress of paying a qualified care provider and encouraging families to take the break they so desperately need. We love to give the “Gift of Time”.