The Vision
As parents of a special needs child, my wife Denise and I have learned over the years of the absolute necessity to take time out of our busy schedules to ‘recharge our batteries’ and invest quality time into our marriage relationship so that we can maintain a strong foundation for meeting the physical and emotional needs of our daughter Hannah.
All too often it becomes difficult or next to impossible for parents of special needs children to take these needed breaks due to a lack of qualified childcare and/or the disposable income to treat themselves to a night out. In the spirit of meeting this need, in 2010, my wife Denise and I founded Special Parents.
Special Parents works with co-sponsoring organizations, who in turn partner with volunteers, donors, and restaurants in their area, to offer an afternoon or evening of respite for the parents and/or caregivers of special needs children. The events include a complimentary ‘Special Parents’ night (dinner) or afternoon (lunch) out for the parents or caregivers while their special needs child(ren) and siblings are cared for and entertained for 3 to 4 hours, by loving and qualified volunteers in a carnival-like atmosphere.
Our founding host-sponsor, Resurgent Church (f/k/a The Church of the Hills), located in Bedminster, NJ, has hosted over 20 of these events for families in Northern New Jersey and the surrounding area. These semi-annual events have grown from just a few dozen guest families and about 60 volunteers in 2010 to over 200 families and 350+ volunteers per event today. Due to the overwhelming demand, our respite events now sell out within just 5-7 days, regrettably resulting in the disappointment of hundreds of families who are unable to attend each year.
To address the significant need and to facilitate further expansion, with a long-term vision of national reach, Special Parents Organization is committed to establishing an endowment. This endowment will be sustained through individual and corporate donations, enabling Special Parents to host dozens of events annually, ensuring that the respite support continues indefinitely. Sponsorship Opportunities
If you or your organization shares our vision for supporting the special needs community and would like to support our expansion efforts, please feel free to contact me directly at coutts.steven@gmail.com.
Thank you & God Bless!
Steve & Denise Coutts Co-Founders, Special Parents Organization
