As of April 1st, 2019, Nurturing Newborns and Families, LLC is offering respite care to 26 families, all with infants and children who have special needs. I’ve looked at this number four times as I try and let this fact sink in to my brain. This blog post is dedicated to the people who have the courage, empathy and heart that leads them to care for these 26 families.

My employees are a unique group with varied skills.  While we are not medical providers, we do care for children with feeding tubes and oxygen. While we are not mental health professionals, we do speak honestly and directly with parents about their mental health. While we are not housekeepers, we do laundry, wash dishes and vacuum. While we are not nannies, we do rock and sing to babies, change diapers and feed and play with children. While we are not physical therapists, we observe physical therapists with our families, and then do the PT with children. Being a respite care provider at Nurturing Newborns is not an easy job.

My staff sees some very difficult things. Most of the families we work with are coping with loss, fatigue, financial difficulties and strained relationships. At our monthly staff meetings, I encourage my employees to talk about these hard situations.  I love how my staff encourages each other and learns from each other. They are an amazing group of women.

I recently read that a perfect employee is one who inspires his boss as much as his boss inspires him. Shout out to my employees. You are my inspiration.

Let’s take a break, a breather, a moment for ourselves. As a parent, this isn’t so easy. And for the parent of a special needs baby, the thought of taking a moment for themselves can bring on feelings of guilt, fear and panic.

Every day I have the privilege to see in to the lives of families that are making huge sacrifices to care for their special children. It is heart-warming and inspiring to watch. But what happens when the parents need care? How can these special parents continue to nurture and care for their special children when they have not been nurtured themselves?

Imagine being young, alone, unable to work, without a positive support system and giving birth to premature twins who have special needs. Imagine adding homelessness to this complicated situation. Imagine the dreams and hopes you have for your children and for your new little family.

Being the parent of a special needs “little” means sacrifice, unbelievable stress and worry. These parents need self-care and nurturing. They need something as simple as a solo trip to the grocery store or something more complicated as mental health support. And, most importantly, they need someone qualified and competent to care for their special child while they care for themselves.

Nurturing the entire family is our specialty. It isn’t easy and it isn’t for the faint of heart. But at Nurturing Newborns and Families, LLC we embrace this challenge and we embrace these parents and children. It is our privilege.