The Baby Fold’s Respite Care Program supports adoptive families across 22 counties in Central Illinois who are navigating challenges with their adopted children. These families often experience significant stress due to the effects of trauma in their children’s early lives, which can result in intense behaviors, emotional dysregulation, and disrupted relationships at home.
Respite Care offers these families short-term, planned breaks—at no cost—through two main services:
- Respite Reimbursement, which helps families access community-based providers by offsetting care costs.
- Camp Take-a-Break, a therapeutic weekend camp for adopted children ages 6–14, held up to 16 times per year at East Bay Camp in Bloomington, IL.
Each child enrolled in Respite Care is individually assessed, and a personalized plan is created to support the family’s needs. Staff use trauma-informed practices to help children build trust, develop emotional and social skills, and begin to heal from early adversity.
Camp Take-a-Break combines traditional camp experiences, such as swimming, crafts, hiking, and archery, with individualized therapeutic care. A staff-to-camper ratio of 3:1 ensures each child receives focused attention and support.
A key feature of camp is the use of “Nurture Groups,” where campers practice expressing emotions, giving and receiving care, and building healthy peer connections—skills that are often difficult for children impacted by trauma.
Currently, 79 children are receiving Respite Care services, with about 40 regularly attending camp sessions. These services help families stabilize, improve their relationships, and stay together.
The Baby Fold has provided Respite Care since the mid-1990s. By offering relief during critical moments, the program helps families continue their adoption journey with greater strength and resilience.
For more information about respite resources, please call (309) 557-1149.
