Created for You

A spiritual retreat for foster and adoptive moms.

We can't wait for you to join us!

April 19-21, 2024

You know that God called you to this journey of foster care and adoption. He called you to care, but He also cares deeply for you. The Foster & Adoption Ministry at North Way invites you to join us for a weekend designed to nurture you.

This is a place for you to remember who you are as the beloved of the Most High God. It’s a place to be seen and known as a woman who has experienced and been marked by the roller coaster ride of foster care, adoption and parenting kids from hard places, but has immense value separate from that role.

What can I expect?

Our weekend together includes fellowship with other women on a similar journey, anointed worship, spiritual teaching designed for you as a woman touched by foster care and adoption, recreational activities, built-in time for rest, and five meals cooked for you! (That’s five times you don’t have to fix a plate, cut up food, or wash dishes!) Plus lots of other goodies! We know you’ll enjoy it.

Since this weekend is Created for You, we invite you to customize your retreat experience in any way you choose. If you need the encouragement and equipping of the teaching sessions and breakouts, attend them all. Or skip a session and take a nap. Get up early and go for a hike, or sleep in late. Want to leave the retreat center grounds, go ahead! There are nearby attractions you can explore. This weekend is for you. Make it exactly what you need.

Meet Our Featured Speaker - Kayla North

Kayla North

Kayla North is the co-founder of One Big Happy Home and co-host of The Empowered Parent Podcast, a popular resource for practical strategies for raising children with trauma and attachment issues. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work and is a sought-after speaker and trainer who has presented at conferences, workshops, and retreats nationwide.

General Information

Location

The Laurelville Retreat Center, Mount Pleasant, PA, is located just 45 miles south of Pittsburgh and 15 minutes from the PA Turnpike in the heart of the beautiful Laurel Highlands. Click here for directions.

Cost: $210

The cost includes two nights lodging (private rooms available for $310), 5 meals, all activities, retreat materials, and access to an exclusive retreat Facebook group to begin building your community early and continue the support throughout the year. (Further details of lodging available in the FAQs.) We hope you’ll be able to spend the entire weekend with us, should you need to modify the schedule in any way (leave early, arrive late, etc.) we understand. Feel free to do what works best for you, however, we are unable to adjust the cost of the retreat.

Created for You Retreat FAQs

Why should I attend?

As a team of women touched by foster care and adoption we understand the unique joys and challenges this journey brings. We understand the power and importance of a community of women who love Jesus, love their children, and desperately need the living hope of Jesus.

Every part of this special weekend is designed for you, as a woman called to this foster and adoption journey. Enjoy meals you don’t have to cook, time in the schedule to sleep in or take a nap, anointed worship that will refresh your soul, and applicable teaching regardless of where you are in your journey.

I don’t know anyone else coming, should I still come?

Yes! There is an immediate fellowship that comes from other women who understand the highs and lows of foster care and adoption. We’ve created many opportunities for you to meet new friends right from the start of the weekend. If it’s solitude your soul craves, no worries, there are plenty of opportunities for that too. Of course, it’s also a great opportunity to invite that foster/adoptive mom friend who may be miles away for some sweet time together!

Is it mandatory to attend all the sessions?

No. We desire to equip moms for their journeys by offering sessions about topics that are applicable to all stages of the adoption and foster care journey. But if that’s not what you need where you are in your journey, then by all means skip a session. Use your time however you’d like! Take a hike, or a nap. Spend some time chatting with other moms, or get caught up in a good book. This is, Created for You. We want you to make it exactly what you need.

What if I need a late check in? Or have to leave early?

We hope you can take advantage of the whole weekend to intentionally retreat from the busy of your life, but we absolutely understand that sometimes that’s not possible. If you need a late check in, can’t come until Saturday, need to leave early, or need to leave and come back. . . that’s okay! Feel free to do what you need and enjoy every part of the weekend you can. We ask that if you need a late check in, just let us know so we can make sure someone is available to help you get settled when you arrive. Unfortunately we are unable to make adjustments in the price of the retreat based on schedule modifications.

Is this retreat applicable to me at my part of the journey?

Wherever you are on the journey, yes!

Adoption and foster care are lifelong journeys. From the moment you make the decision and begin your paperwork, to finalization, tantrums, teenage years, and empty nesting, parenting kids who have faced loss calls for different types of understanding, compassion, and prayer. God designed us for community and we hope you’ll join us to be a part of the tribe of amazing women on this journey.

For women just starting – there’s no better time to dig in and learn from those who have gone before you.

For those in the trenches – come breathe, find camaraderie and support.

For those wondering how to support your older children as they navigate the world – you’ll find moms at that stage of the journey too.

Come.

What is the dress code?

We want you to be you. If you’re most comfortable wearing yoga pants and an old sweatshirt, do it! If you prefer to be put together with jewelry and make up, that’s great too! You be you. That’s what this weekend is about.

I have special dietary restrictions? Can you accommodate?

Laurelville will make every effort to accommodate specific food restrictions. You must fill out this form and return it to fosteradoption@northway.org at least 2 weeks before the retreat in order to guarantee your food needs.

What are the sleeping arrangements?

Our group will be staying in either the Guesthouse or the Solarhouse (see photos here). Rooms will accommodate 2 or 3 people and have private bathrooms. Linens are included. You’ll be able to request specific roommates during the registration process.

We also are pleased to offer a single-room option for those who prefer solitude to refresh. Choose whichever option is better for you.

What can I expect after I register?

Plenty of communication! As the retreat nears we will be in touch many times via email, you’ll get access to the exclusive Facebook group to get your questions answered and begin to get to know the other women attending. Before the weekend of the retreat you’ll receive a packing list, a playlist of worship songs we’ll use, phone numbers for last-minute emergencies, details about the schedule, and more!

What if the retreat doesn't fit my budget?

We strive to keep our retreat as economically priced as possible to accommodate every mom who needs to come. Your fee includes 2 nights lodging, 5 meals, and all retreat materials. If that is simply not in your budget here are a few ideas:

Use SWAN (State Wide Adoption Network) Post Adoption Funds - If you are an adoptive family living in PA, there are respite funds available to you. Respite doesn’t need to mean that your kids go away, it can mean you do. Contact SWAN at 1-800-585-7926 to request respite services. You can choose the agency you want to work with or allow SWAN to choose it for you. There are many great agencies you can work with. Feel free to use whomever you prefer.

More information can be found here.

Request SWAN funds early so you can apply them at registration. Or, you can choose to be reimbursed.
A limited number of partial scholarships are available through our ministry. If you need a scholarship, and SWAN funds don’t apply for you, we invite you to email us at fosteradoption@northway.org to discuss your needs.
Want to help provide a scholarship for another mom attending? An option to add a little extra to your registration for that purpose will be available during the registration process.

I have post-adoption funds available through SWAN, can I use them for the retreat?

Yes! Respite doesn’t need to mean that your kids go away, it can mean you do. The agency administering your SWAN Funds can either reimburse you, or contact us to pay us directly at fosteradoption@northway.org to make the arrangements before you register.

Have other questions?

Email us. We would be delighted to answer any question, big or small! We want you to be comfortable and confident about this retreat weekend.

Testimonies

It was lovely! I felt cared for, spoiled, seen, heard, connected, and so much more. I came in feeling depressed and broken. I felt so separated from God. I left feeling hopeful because of the knowledge, understanding, friendship and spiritual renewal I encountered over the weekend.

So well run, just amazing!

It had been a rough year. So much going on personally that I was left feeling alone and empty. The retreat was exactly what I needed. Being with others who understand the struggles and the time to just breathe, be still and let God speak to my heart is what I needed. That assurance that I am not allow and the peace and hope I left with is what I needed.

This is the most refreshed and energized I have felt since my daughter was born 3 years ago. I didn't realize the daily trauma we were facing or the daily exhaustion I was feeling until I came home after feeling rested with all of you. And I've been excited to talk to my husband and find time to spend with him and I feel like more than just an adoptive mama now, I feel like a human again.

It was such a gift to be there and I am already excited to return next year!

I arrived on Friday feeling nervous that I wouldn’t know many people, unsure of how much I would really benefit from it, and anxious that I didn’t know what to expect. When I left on Sunday, I had made so many new friends and connected with the other moms in a way that only God can orchestrate. My heart was refreshed and renewed with the words that the speaker shared with us and God really revealed some life- changing things to me. And the entire weekend was such an enjoyable experience that I can’t wait to return!

I cannot express enough how much I appreciate all of the time and attention put into every detail...it all adds up to a refreshing, inspiring, equipping weekend that I look forward to every year!