Parents caring for a child with special needs are invited to a respite care day being held on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Moving Communities to Christ (MCC) Church in Elverson. Activities will be offered for parents, as well as children with disabilities and their siblings.

The first-time event is being offered by the church's Sensational Kids Ministry, which serves children with special needs. "We will pamper the entire family," said Connie Brown-Weber, MCC's elementary school ministry director, noting the day is open to families with special needs children up to age 12. "We will have activities planned for (the children), the dads, moms and the siblings. And there are some (activities) they can do together."

After check-in, which will open at 8:30 a.m., breakfast will be served. At 9:30 a.m., families will be able to choose from various activities. "Families will break off into stations. There will be sign-up sheets for different areas," explained Brown-Weber. "There are some (activities) you can go into (directly), and there are other stations that you have to sign up for a time slot."

There will be mini facials and nail painting available for women, and haircuts will be offered for all attendees. "We will have a teatime for moms, and they can communicate with other parents that are going through similar situations," said Brown-Weber. "We will have a coffee and teatime for the dads so they can talk with other dads."

Also offered will be two prayer rooms, a relaxation station, a cornhole tournament and programming for the dads, including a woodworking project. Children of all abilities will be able to enjoy crafts and games.

"From 12 to 12:30, we will close out, and we will have different areas where parents will travel with their children (to get) free gifts and information about (upcoming) events," said Brown-Weber.

The stations will be manned by volunteers from the church, and each special needs child will be paired with an older teen, who is a student leader from the church. Trained staff, who have previously worked with special needs students, will be on hand, as well as nurses.

Brown-Weber said that the upcoming event will become a regular part of the church's Sensational Kids Ministry in the future. Currently, the church offers a Sensational Kids classroom, which is open every Sunday during MCC's 11 a.m. service. The room, which features games and sensory activities, is designed to give children a break from the typical classroom.

"There is such a need (for this type) of programming for area families," she stated. "The long-term goal is to do (a respite care program) monthly, but we will start with quarterly."

While it was originally intended to be a drop-off program, parents are asked to remain at the church with their children to enjoy the event. "We would prefer for families to stay and take advantage of everything we have planned," added Breanna Brubaker, the hub leader for the Sensational Kids classroom.

The deadline to register for the respite day is Wednesday, Nov. 20. The program is limited to 12 children with special needs. If the program is full, interested families will be put on a waiting list.

MCC is located at 4221 Main St. (Route 23), Elverson. To register or for more information, visit http://www.movingcommunitiestochrist.org and scroll down to the event listed on the homepage under the heading "Latest MCC News & Announcements." Those with questions may call the church office at 610-286-5153. More information about church activities is available at http://www.facebook.com/MCtoChrist.