Summer is here and with it comes warm weather, late evenings, vacation Bible school (VBS), and church camps. If you are a caretaker of a child with a disability, and she is interested in attending VBS, church camp or a youth retreat, the preparation process is the same:
First, start early. Think about your goals around participation. Is this an event where she can attend independently the first year? Or do you need to work up to attending the entire schedule with a multiyear approach?
Think about what your loved one needs. Does she need someone to check-in with her throughout the day, or does she need constant supervision by a full-time one-on-one? Does it involve an overnight stay? Is medical care or medication needed over a 24-hour period? Is there anyone that you already know of that could provide support? Is there a family friend or a Sunday school teacher that is already familiar with your loved one? See if you can figure out some of the details before approaching your church leader.
Does the event involve staying in a hotel with peers? Is that something your loved one would be comfortable doing, or is it better to stay in a more private room overnight? Is the event in your home town or far away? Is your family attending this event, allowing your loved one to stay with you in a nearby hotel room? Does your child often wake up in the middle of the night? Is this something your youth group will handle with grace? In any case, hand-selecting support people should be a careful process.
How willing are you to be involved in the event? Are you willing to be on the premises or nearby? Can you attend as a chaperone? It isn't ideal for a caregiver or even the sibling of a person with a disability to be the one providing direct support, but it may be helpful to have one of them available.
Once you have thought through what supports are needed, give your local church leader in charge of such events a call. It may be your youth leader, children's pastor or Sunday school coordinator. Ask if they know if anyone with a disability has ever attended this type of event. They may have some ideas on how to make it happen. If this is a new concept for them, arrange a meeting in which you outline the supports that would be needed. It may be helpful to use the Spiritual IEP, found on the ABLE Ministry UPCI's Facebook files page to talk through the supports that are needed.
If it is a district or state-wide event such as church camp or youth event, work with your church's pastor or youth pastor to contact the leader in charge of the event. He or she may already have experience or know someone who can assist in making it happen.