Our Story

Peace Place has been operational since 2011 and was initially a mission of the First Presbyterian Church. What started on a small-scale— only one respite session provided each week, has grown into 12 sessions provided each week: Morning Program (offered weekdays in the morning for our younger children, ages 0-5), After-School Program (offered after the school day for our school-age children), and now a Mid-Day Program (offered weekdays for children who are struggling to complete a full day of school or child care). And the best part– all our respite sessions are free to parents/caregivers!

The overall impact we had last year (FY 2023) was more than ever before, and we are proud to say we provided 3,232 total individual episodes of respite last year. But we know there are so many more children and families who need us. Right now, we are scratching the surface of the number of families in our region who have children with special needs. We truly want to serve those families in our area who could benefit from the “respite with a purpose” provided by our highly skilled, well-trained caregivers at Peace Place.

We know how prevalent child abuse and neglect are in our region, and we also know that families who have a child with some sort of diagnosis (medical or developmental) are even more likely to suffer from these crimes. Peace Place is on the forefront when it comes to prevention of child abuse by giving parents rest, resources, and real-life support when they need it to keep their home safe, healthy, and happy.