Finding Support is Challenging
One of our new Jill’s House families recently had their daughter spend her first weekend at our location in upstate New Jersey. Here is one thing they said about their experience:
“Finding support is challenging. [Our daughter’s] weekend away at camp was the first time we were alone in 11 years. We were so excited to have this time together that we probably stacked our weekend with too many fun things, but it was very special for us. The best part of our weekend by far was knowing that [our daughter] was safe and having a great time.”
There are so many important points to unpack in those few sentences. Their words highlight…
- The general lack of services for families raising kids with intellectual disabilities.
- How difficult (near impossible!) it can be for parents to find time for themselves.
- The HUGE amount of trust parents put in us when they place their kids under our care and how critical it is for them to have peace of mind when their child is at Jill’s House.
I could go on and on, but I just want to share one more insight from this quote: the vast majority of parents raising children with disabilities aren’t choosing between getting respite at Jill’s House or from the other respite center down the street. Typically, they are choosing to get respite from Jill’s House or they are getting no respite at all (e.g., the parents above got time to themselves for the first time in 11 years!).
All that to say…thank you for all each and every one of you do to make it possible for us to love and serve our Jill’s House families. As you can see, you are adding unique value to their lives and making a huge difference for them and their kids.
