To Belong Means to Flourish

We’re pleased to share a very powerful article in the spring issue of Baylor Magazine titled “When Everyone Belongs.” Written about the work of Dr. Erik Carter and the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing, the article explores a simple but profound idea: Communities are transformed when individuals with disabilities are not merely accommodated, but truly welcomed and valued.

As Dr. Carter writes, “When we include and learn from people with disabilities, we don’t just make their lives better—each of us grows. We become more human, more faithful, and more whole.”

At Jill’s House, that truth comes to life every day. The children and families we serve continually remind us that belonging is not just about providing services or meeting needs. It is about relationships. It is about celebrating each person as a beloved child of God. And it is about the way a community grows richer when everyone has a place within it.

This vision of belonging is also reflected in the Baylor Impact Study, a research partnership between Baylor University and Jill’s House that examined how respite care and supportive community affect the well-being of families raising children with intellectual disabilities. The findings were incredibly encouraging, confirming what we hear from parents again and again: When families receive support and experience genuine belonging, their resilience, hope, and sense of community grow stronger.

We’re grateful for the thoughtful work being done by Dr. Carter and the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing, and we encourage you to read the full article here:

It beautifully captures something we see every day — when everyone belongs, everyone flourishes.