Tiny Town Respite Event
We recently hosted a respite event at Tiny Town Play Café in Columbia. Tiny Town Play Café is an indoor play space and full coffee shop, designed to create an environment where children can play while their caretakers can experience fulfilling rest, which connects perfectly to the idea of respite.
Respite care offers foster parents a break to take care of their own needs while their children are cared for in a safe environment.
Jayci Gesling, the owner of Tiny Town, is also a licensed foster parent through Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries. She went above and beyond hosting us, and we had such a good time!
“I like to look at gifts for the season,” Jayci shared. “When I was a stay-at-home mom, the gift of that season was time. The gift of this season is the café—this new gathering space that I have. Having the respite event here was a gift of this season.”
Children had so much fun engaging in imaginative play. There were costumes that they could dress up in, as well as interactive toys that created an immersive experience.
We are so grateful for our partnership with Tiny Town Play Café, and the opportunity to provide respite for our hardworking foster parents.
“Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, in my mind, is like our adopted baby brother,” Jayci said. “It was sweet for me to meet families as a foster parent myself, and encouraging that we have the space to offer a quick break to parents who are giving their time and energy to children. It was awesome, seeing kids come in and be excited and seeing parents be able to come in and say, ‘Oh, okay, we’ll be back later.’”
