A resort-like facility in Vienna, Virginia, offered a respite for mothers of special-needs children this week by serving tea and cookies on white-clothed tables on an open-air patio as they shared their stories.
Though the tea party on Monday was a Mother’s Day-themed event, Jill’s House offers year-round comfort and care.
“We are living proof of how Jill’s House continues its legacy even after you leave,” said Patricia Schemel, whose 28-year-old intellectually challenged daughter, Katy, was a “charter member” of the overnight respite care home when it opened in 2010.
Mrs. Schemel told the other mothers that Katy struggled for years with sleeplessness, misbehavior and physical issues. Had she and her husband, Dick, not found Jill’s House, their marriage likely would have ended and Katy would have been sent to a full-time residential care facility, Mrs. Schemel said.
“Jill’s House is about creating friendships and creating new ways to love and serve,” Amy Lopez, the home’s volunteer coordinator, told the mothers.
The “Jill” of Jill’s House is the 31-year-old daughter of former McLean Bible Church pastor Lon Solomon, who founded the facility on church property. The home welcomes children with special needs ages 6 to 17 for short-term weekend stays that involve games, camping trips and other activities. The stays also give parents time for rest and renewal.
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Mr. Solomon conceived the idea for Jill’s House from his and his wife’s experience caring for their daughter, who began having daily seizures when she was 3 months old. A churchgoing woman organized occasional caregivers for the Solomons, and a visit to a Jerusalem respite center showed how such care could be managed, the home’s website says.
At the tea party this week, Coleen Perez said she had spent years seeking social services for her nonverbal 17-year-old son, Joaquin, who has severe autism and difficulty understanding what people say to him. She and her husband, Jacob, moved from Guam to Northern Virginia in 2016 to explore better long-term options for their only child.
“It’s a matter of trust,” Mrs. Perez, 47, told The Washington Times. “As a mom, who do you trust to take care of your son who doesn’t talk?”
After three years of looking around the Washington area, the Perez family discovered Jill’s House in 2019. The camping trips engaged Joaquin’s interest.
“He’s an amazing child, kind, sweet, loving, and they see that here,” Mrs. Perez said. “Jill’s House has allowed him to be a typical teenager, have friends, go on sleepovers and just hang out without Mom and Dad.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Perez participates in a weekly Bible study with other mothers. She told The Times that the friendships she has formed in the group have helped her cope with leaving family and friends in Guam.
“We have date nights again,” her husband of more than 25 years said.
Jill’s House representatives said the home has grown since its founding despite setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next to McLean Bible Church, Jill’s House is an independent ministry open to families of all faiths. The ministry has added five other locations, in Middleburg, Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; Seattle; Chicago; and New Jersey.
The original home in Vienna has 80 professional caregivers, other staff and more than 100 volunteers who assist with its programs.
“Creating community among the parents we serve is really important,” said Dana Hecht, who oversees the home’s compliance with state regulations.
The home offers a monthly parent support group, book clubs, men’s nights out and women’s nights out for activities such as miniature golf.
It has begun partnering with eight local schools to offer 24-hour overnight weekday programs for special education students up to age 22. After that age, Virginia law requires people with severe autism and similar issues to move on from K-12 schools.
Pandemic restrictions closed the Vienna home from April to July 2020. Over the past three years, the facility has struggled with staffing shortages and the fears of some mothers about sending children with compromised immune systems to the programs.
Jill’s House expects to serve more than 200 families at its original campus this year, down from 350 a year before the pandemic.
The mothers said they hope other parents will discover the facility.
Thanks to Jill’s House, the Perez family is planning a more relaxed Mother’s Day than anything they experienced before Joaquin started going on weekend camping trips four years ago.
“We will probably grill out and take Joaquin to the National Zoo,” Mr. Perez, 47, told The Times. “He loves the zoo.”
“I truly believe I couldn’t be the mom I am without a supportive husband and family,” Mrs. Perez said.
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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