Are you sending your special needs child off to a week of summer camp? It will be a week of fun and adventure for your child no doubt. It should be an enjoyable week for you, the parents, as well. You and possibly other family members get a well-needed break from your child’s constant special needs. Summer camp can be an inexpensive alternative to respite care. You don’t feel like you are punishing your child, or getting away from your child when summer camp is the destination. You can feel good about the situation all the way around. Are there ways you can help your special needs... more

If you haven’t already made your summer camp reservations for your children then you had better get started. Many of the best summer camps are already filled up for prime weeks and placing children on waiting lists, incase someone cancels. Some of the specialty camps may only offer one or two weeks to choose from over the entire summer making those spots more difficult to come by. Recently, I came across a list of summer camps available throughout the continental United States for children and adults with communication disorders.... more

I will be the first to admit that a teenager at home can be very helpful. Each child in our home has a household chore to complete everyday and of course, the more difficult jobs are assigned to the teenagers. But, do you have any idea how peaceful your home can be when every teenager is away at camp?

Three of the teenagers left this morning for a glorious week of camp. The fourth teenager leaves on Friday for a 10-day mission’s trip with our church’s youth group. This will be his third mission’s trip with nearly the same group of people.

Of the... more

Children with learning disabilities may have difficulty remembering to bring all of their belongings home from camp. A pile of white socks all look the same at the end of the week, as do underwear and towels. I make a point of writing my child’s name, grade, and destination on each piece of clothing and anything else taken to camp.

Yes, I write it on every sock, every pair of underwear, every swimming suit, and every washcloth. Well, you get the idea. I also affix address labels with our complete address to disposable cameras, fishing poles, shoes, suitcases,... more

Super Dad loaded up the car early yesterday morning and took LuLu to Florida for four days. (Yes, this is my REAL birthday present.) The two of them have never traveled solo before, so this is a really BIG deal.

After my initial Snoopy dance around the house, I settled into the quiet surroundings to work hot and heavy on blogging, ATN conference and trying to figure out what to do about the quagmire our due process tribulations have become.

I did take an afternoon break to go to the movies with Kay. We saw Knocked... more

I hate to cause jealousy among you, but we may have access to a nearly perfect camp and it is only about 20 miles from where we live. Why would I dare to make such a claim? They take our special needs children and never complain or kick them out. This week, I know of seven adopted special needs children there for respite, and I don’t know everyone, so there are probably others. I only know of one child who was sent home early in the past, and that was for smoking cigarettes at camp.

The camp only charges 10 dollars for the week. That is correct, not a... more

I was just finishing reading Cindy’s blog this morning about dangerous threats, when the phone rang. It was one of my fellow foster and adoptive parents, licensed with the same agency as us.

A couple of months ago, she had contacted me to provide respite care for her two foster children. At the time, she had called everyone on the respite list provided by DHS, Department of Human Services, and apparently, no one was willing or able to provide... more

I continue to struggle with this question: Is sending my naughty children off to a week of summer camp cheap respite care or a reward for naughty behavior? My teen daughter has missed two summers of camp so far, because of her behavior. I have told her repeatedly that if she can’t be trusted, then I can’t send her off to camp. I know she loves camp so I thought the threat would work, but it hasn’t. She continues to sneak and steal when I’m not home, usually within minutes after I leave the house. That tends to give me the feeling that her actions are premeditated.... more

It was sunny and about 70 degrees here in Michigan today, which was a welcomed change from the intermittent spring snow and rain we’ve been having. What could possibly make such a day even more glorious? Our Foster Adoptive Family Resource and Support Center offered a free respite Saturday from 9AM until 4PM, for children between newborn and 12 years old who were part of an adoptive family or part of a foster family. The Center had games, activities, and meals planned for the children and they had a great time. All parents had to do, to take advantage of the free day of care, was... more

You’ll probably think I’ve lost my mind when I tell you that I took nine children (two were at work) to the indoor water park today, all by myself. For the first ten minutes we were there I honestly thought I had lost it. The six year old that we’re providing respite care for this week has FAS, a speech disorder, I’d guess a fairly low IQ and possibly pituitary dwarfism. She nearly drowned twice in the first five minutes we were there. The shallow children’s area is on the right side, the deeper older child area is on the left side and all the way to the back is a whirl... more