Pretty much every waking moment of every day, Enis Martinez tends to the needs of her five children, including a 4-year-old son on the autism spectrum and twin 23-month-old daughters.

Living in a two-bedroom Concord apartment, Martinez gets her children up in the morning, feeds them and ferries her two older children, 8 and 11, to and from school. While 4-year-old Jayden spends a couple hours each day at a special program for children with autism, Martinez still has Hannah and Alanah. The two toddlers constantly look to her for attention or if they need comfort when they’re frustrated or tired.

She doesn’t get much help from her estranged husband, and doesn’t have family nearby who can help. It’s no wonder, then, that Martinez looks forward to the break she gets several hours each week by leaving her children at the Bay Area Crisis Nursery.

Located in Concord, the nursery has become an invaluable service for parents, whose worlds have fallen apart or who are overwhelmed, stressed out and in need of a safe, nurturing place to leave their children, whether for a few hours a week or for longer periods of time. The nursery is a free, 20-bed residential shelter for young children, ages newborn to 5 years old, serving about 250 children a year.

Parents bring their children to the nursery for all kinds of reasons, including homelessness, job loss or mental health or medical emergencies, said executive director Tara Legaspi.

The nursery also invites parents to pick up free diapers, formula, toiletries and food from its Food and Diaper Bank. It also offers free produce on Tuesdays and a lobby “boutique,” where parents can find free children’s clothing, furniture, toys and baby supplies.

“We want them to know they can always turn to us,” Legaspi said.