HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP202100014 Correspondence 2021-09-29 (23)From: Faith Cornwall <fcornwall@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 8, 2021 10:31 AM
To: Mariah Gleason
Subject: The Farm Retreat SUP
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Dear Ms Gleason,
I am writing in enthusiastic support of the special use permit for The Farm Retreat.
I am a former foster parent, current fost-adopt parent. One of the pearls of wisdom I learned in my
foster licensing class was “The best thing for a child in foster care is happy, healthy, stable grown ups.”
The point was for us as foster parents to always get whatever support we needed, and always feel free
to take time to ourselves - to relax, exercise, spend time with friends, etc - as that would directly benefit
the kids in our care.
Well, throw in one crazy pandemic and that advice has never been truer. Like all parents, we are doing
the best we can. Unlike other parents, we carry specific burdens and challenges unique to our situation
that make us getting rest even more important; but at the same time harder to come by. Given the
specific needs of kids like ours, parents like us often can’t just hire a babysitter or expect relatives to be
able to help out. Avenues of help available to other parents are simply often not a fit for us.
We are so looking forward to The Farm Retreat being built. For us as grown ups, the idea of being able
to go somewhere local and have some time to unwind - while knowing our kiddo would be well cared
for, close by, and having fun with other kids - would be an incredibly nourishing and positive experience
for our whole family. It would help us as parents and at work, and help our kid at home and at school.
Everyone needs a place to belong, where they felt seen and understood. While going to The Farm
Retreat would have immediate benefits for our family in terms of respite, in the long term we also
imagine it to be a place for us to build community, for both us as parents, and especially for our kid. We
always want her to know that she is not alone, and that other kids have been through similar
experiences and thrive anyway.
Thank you so much for reading,
Faith Carria Joy
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