Being the parents of a special needs child can be difficult and strenuous as it takes immense time and energy into meeting the physical and emotional needs of a special needs child. All too often it becomes difficult or next to impossible for parents of special needs children to take needed breaks due to a lack of qualified child care and/or the disposable income to treat themselves to a well deserved night to themselves. This very reason is why the Special-Parents Organization was formed. 

Special-Parents Organization works with various co-sponsoring organizations, who in turn partner with volunteers, donors and restaurants in their area, to offer an afternoon or evening of relaxation for the parents and/or caregivers of special needs children. The events include a complimentary lunch or dinner out for the parents or caregivers while their special needs child and siblings are cared for and entertained for 2 to 4 hours, by loving and qualified volunteers in a carnival-like atmosphere.

The special needs children are dropped off by their parents and are assigned to a one on one volunteer. The volunteer is specifically in charge of their assigned child and the parents are given the contact information of the volunteer just in case of emergencies. The one on one volunteer guides and entertains their assigned child during the enormous carnival. The carnivals have all types of activities to occupy the attendees as it has everything from a bouncy castle to a shaved ice truck!

The massive event is hosted by the Church of the Hills located in Bedminster, NJ. It has hosted over 16 of these events for families in the Northern New Jersey and surrounding area.  These semi-annual Northern New Jersey “Special Parent’s Night Out” 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.

You can help this wonderful organization by volunteering at one of their organized carnivals as a one-on-one volunteer. The next event for Special-Parents Organization is October 12th at the Church of the Hills. The events are extremely rewarding and they also bring such Joy to the attendees as they have a joyful a\d exciting experience. Visit http://special-parents.org/ for more information on how you can help this great cause.