Any parent and caretaker of a child or children with disabilitiesThe Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes people who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability. More would say that caring for them is, first and foremost, a labor of love. But that doesn’t mean that the emotional, psychological, and physical strains don’t happen. And if other children—with or without disabilities—are involved, the strains are that much greater. Always, there is the tension on relationships between spouses, siblings, parents and children, or all of those. Love or not, sometimes special families just need some time apart.
At first that might seem odd, or perhaps even like a sign of weakness or unpreparedness for hardship. But think about it: Even in “normal” families the members—even spouses—all occasionally need to spend time alone, and they are regularly encouraged by experts to do so. It helps family members recharge, rediscover themselves, and express their individuality so that they can return home stronger and with more to contribute to the health and strength of the family. There’s no reason that need should be any different for families that have a special-needs child, and it isn’t. The problem is finding a place where a family with a special-needs child can go to get that time alone and know at the same time that the child is safe and cared for.
Why Respite Care is So Important
Jill’s House is named for a very special young lady, born in 1992, who was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome—a rare seizure disorder. Jill’s parents’ lives changed when a friend stepped in and introduced them to the concept of respite. Respite provided an occasional break for Jill’s parents to spend time with their children and with each other, or simply to sleep. The difference respite careShort-term care for a child or adult that allows the primary caregiver relief. More made in their family was tremendous. It restored hope, light, even laughter, and planted a seed that eventually led them to found Jill’s House in 2003.
For fourteen years, the short-term overnight respite care at Jill’s House has been transforming the lives of families raising children with special needs. Located in Vienna, Virginia, Jill’s House provides a safe haven for people like you—parents of children with special needs who are their child’s primary caretakers—to entrust their child, so that they can shop, see a movie, have a quiet meal, spend time with their other children, read, sleep . . . whatever the word ‘rest’ might mean. Meanwhile, the child—freed from endless therapy and doctor’s visits—will make new friends and experience indoor and outdoor activities such as an art room, computer room, playground, and pool, always closely supervised by caretakers who put your child’s safety and happiness first. Jill’s House is a respite for all children with intellectual disabilities and their families, without regard to race, religion, or ethnicity from ages six to seventeen.
If travel is necessary, it may still be possible to take advantage of the respite offered by Jill’s House. With seven “campsites” in familiar places in other states—Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Nashville, Tennessee—plus two in its home state of Virginia (Vienna and Middleburg), families can plan trips knowing that when they arrive at their destination, Jill’s House will be waiting.
If you’d like to schedule a respite, you can contact Jill’s House by mail, phone, or email:
9011 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA 22182
703.639.5660