What does AMR do?   A Mother's Rest is a public charity headquartered in New Market, MD.    Our purpose is coordinate affordable, frequent respite retreats nationwide for caregivers of all kinds.  Our founder is the bio parent of a 20-something with  Down syndrome, ADHD, and SPD.    In addition, her 11 years in the international adoption community make her well versed in the neuro-development and trauma-induced challenges that adoptive families face.   Knowing the fatigue many extra-needs caregivers experience, AMR was created as a national network of parental respite inns.    We coordinate respite retreats at bed and breakfast locations around the country.    We also own two of the nation's first year-round caregiver respite inns, currently located in Central Maryland and North Georgia.  Our primary goal is to make these affordable, everywhere, and often.  Self-care and mental health for these caregivers needs to be a priority.

Who is eligible to participate?   AMR is open to all parents of all children with just about all extra needs.  Families raising children with physical, cognitive, developmental, emotional, behavioral, past abuse and trauma-induced conditions are all welcome.  ALL adoptive & foster parents are welcome.  We also support wives of disabled/ill  spouses, including Wounded Warriors, as well as those caring for their own aging parents at home.  There are no stated religious or family lifestyle restrictions.  AMR is meant to be a safe place for all caregivers.  We expect to keep a culture of mutual caregiver support.

Is AMR a faith-based organization?  No.  AMR is registered as a secular public charity.   AMR is a very personal ministry, but  exists to serve all families who have children and loved ones with extra needs.    Faith is an important part of most families' lives, but many people do not participate in organized religion, and that is totally ok.   For many families, sharing their stories requires a discussion of how faith impacts their role as a caregiver.  Just be yourself!

Will there be planned activities?  A Mother’s Rest will never have required activities.   Our first priority is rest, and that means sleeping.   Our format is completely free-style.  Sleep, get up, eat, come and go as you please.   We will do our best to provide you with info about local activities, but the decision to do any of those things will be entirely up to you and the other guests at the time.    Each retreat will have a private Facebook group set up exclusively for those registered guests to get to know each other ahead of time and to discuss the plans for the retreat.  We want you to build the weekend that will help you return to your family refreshed and energized.  Don't want to get out of your pajamas?    No problem?  Want to shop in a store that doesn’t also sell groceries?  You got it.  No matter what it is, if you are thinking about it, share it with your private Facebook group so they know what to expect, and will encourage you to do it!  The sooner you register for your retreat, the more time you will have to plan!

Do you offer refunds if I cannot attend?   The life of a special needs caregiver is unpredictable at best.  We understand that emergencies happen and plans change.  Unfortunately, due to the nature of renting out entire Bed and Breakfast Inns as Porch Partners to A Mother’s Rest, we cannot offer refunds.  Your retreat fee will revert to  a tax-deductible donation that further supports the respite programs of AMR. 

What is the cost? Our goal is to keep the retreats as affordable as possible, less than $200 per person.  We depend on private, corporate, church and civic group donations to subsidize the remaining costs of each retreat.  In time, we hope to make these retreats free of charge to all visiting parents.

What does my donation support?  At this time, A Mother’s Rest is  run entirely on volunteer power!    It can't stay this way forever, but for right now, 100% of your donations go to either support the basic operational costs of this non profit, or to the direct expenses of the retreat events themselves.  This includes the cost of the website, graphics, promotional printed material, advertising, bank fees and legal filings...all of the necessary behind-the-scenes things that make A Mother's Rest possible at all.    

How can I sponsor a retreat?    Sponsoring a retreat is easy.  Contact Andrea for more personal options, or use this page to donate online. 

Are travel expenses included? No, travel costs are the responsibility of the guest.

Do you provide child care? No, at this time it is still the responsibility of the family to coordinate care while you're away.

Do you offer scholarships? Please email innkeeper@amothersrest.org if you would like to be discreetly considered for a scholarship.

Are alcoholic beverages allowed? Although you may hear us joking about wine and 5 o’clock somewhere on our Facebook page, we really are talking about the chance to be “off-duty.”  Yes, you are welcome to have alcohol, but the expectation of responsible decorum is paramount.  We are not organizing frat parties.    No one is required to drink anything they don't want to.  We want you to be able to rest, and make choices that will allow your fellow retreat participants to do the same.