Parenting is full of busy days, but for foster, adoptive, and kinship families, finding time to simply pause can be especially challenging.
That’s where Adoption Helpers comes in.
The Upstate nonprofit provides free, short-term respite care to foster, adoptive, and kinship families across six Upstate counties: Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, and Laurens.
Through in-home respite care and quarterly Community Respite Events, Adoption Helpers gives parents an opportunity to step away for a few hours while their children enjoy intentional, age-appropriate fun with trained volunteers.
And this September, the organization is inviting the entire Upstate community to come together for a night of family fun — all while helping keep these respite services free for families.
Free Respite Care for Upstate Families
Adoption Helpers serves foster, adoptive, and kinship families throughout its six-county service area. Families do not have to have adopted through a particular agency or organization to benefit, and biological children in the family can participate as well.
The organization offers two primary types of respite:
In-Home Respite Care
During a typical respite visit, a trained volunteer or team of volunteers comes to the family’s home for approximately three to four hours.
The goal isn’t complicated: connection, play, and giving parents a chance to breathe.
Volunteers bring a bag of games and activities selected with the children’s ages and interests in mind. They work to follow the family’s normal routine as much as possible, including things like bedtime routines.
And because parents already have enough to think about, Adoption Helpers provides pizza for every respite visit, taking dinner off the family’s plate, too.
Families can request in-home respite care by joining the Adoption Helpers waitlist. The current intake form describes the program as four hours of free childcare brought directly to the family’s home each quarter.
Community Respite Events
Adoption Helpers also hosts quarterly Community Respite Events in the Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson areas.
These drop-off events give children an opportunity to play and have fun with the Adoption Helpers team while parents get a few hours to themselves.
Upcoming events are announced as they are scheduled through the organization’s website, email list, and social media pages.
Who Can Use Adoption Helpers?
Adoption Helpers is available to foster, adoptive, and kinship families in:
- Greenville County
- Spartanburg County
- Anderson County
- Pickens County
- Oconee County
- Laurens County
The organization’s intake form specifically lists foster, kinship, adoptive, and biological family types and notes that the agency a family is licensed through or adopted through does not affect eligibility.
What Does Respite Care Look Like?
Every family and every child is different, so Adoption Helpers works with parents to understand their family’s individual needs.
Volunteers receive training in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) and complete background checks and other screening before providing in-home respite care. Volunteers are not medical professionals, so families are asked to share important information such as allergies and specific needs during the intake process.
For children who are medically fragile or require medication, participation is determined on a case-by-case basis and at the parents’ discretion. Adoption Helpers can provide one-to-one volunteer support when appropriate, but does not provide a higher level of therapeutic or medical care.
Families can also indicate their comfort level with male and female volunteers during the intake process. Adoption Helpers has both male and female volunteers, and married couples sometimes volunteer together.
Want to Help? Adoption Helpers Needs Volunteers
One of the biggest needs right now isn’t just financial support — it’s people willing to show up for families.
In-home respite volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Adoption Helpers is also looking for volunteers who can make a consistent commitment, ideally one Friday evening each month.
That consistency matters. Having dependable volunteers means Adoption Helpers can continue providing reliable respite opportunities for families who need them, at no cost.
There are also opportunities for teen volunteers to get involved at Community Respite Events when accompanied by an adult.
Light Up the Night: A Night of Family Fun for a Good Cause
On Friday, September 18, from 6–9 p.m., Adoption Helpers will host its first annual Light Up the Night Silent Disco at BridgeWay Station in Simpsonville.
The event grew from founder and CEO Laura Combs’ desire to create a fun, family-oriented experience that gives families an opportunity to spend meaningful time together and make memories.
The event will take place outdoors at BridgeWay Station, at 1000 Via Corso Ave. Guests will gather underneath the train station pavilion and in the surrounding courtyard for an evening of music, activities, and family fun.
What to Expect at Light Up the Night
Get ready to dance — with headphones!
A live DJ will provide music through wireless headphones with multiple channels, allowing guests to choose between different music options.
But the Silent Disco is just part of the fun.
Attendees can also enjoy optional add-on experiences including:
- Laser tag
- Balloon art
- Fairy hair
- Photo booth
- Raffles
- VIP ticket experiences
Tickets are $20 for ages 15+ and $10 for children ages 4–14. Children ages 3 and under may attend free of charge, but will not receive headphones unless a ticket is purchased for them. Every Silent Disco VIP Ticket includes admission to the Silent Disco, a pair of wireless headphones, and one Experience Ticket, which can be used toward an add-on experience or entered into a raffle giveaway.
Additional activities, treats, drinks, and merchandise will be available for purchase during the event. Tickets are non-refundable, and all proceeds benefit Adoption Helpers and its mission to support adoptive and foster families in the community.
Your Ticket Helps Keep Respite Care Free
Light Up the Night isn’t just a fun Friday night out. It’s also an important fundraiser for Adoption Helpers.
The organization’s website says the fundraiser will help support its respite programs and sustainably provide free respite services in the Upstate community.
For families who are already navigating the demands of foster care, adoption, or kinship care, that free support can make a meaningful difference.
And you don’t have to attend the event to help. The event page also provides an option to make a donation without purchasing a ticket.
OOBE Partners With Adoption Helpers
OOBE is the presenting sponsor of Light Up the Night and has partnered with Adoption Helpers in ways that go beyond financial support.
OOBE employees have helped champion the organization by increasing awareness, making connections, and helping introduce more people to the work Adoption Helpers is doing in the Upstate.
Two OOBE employees have personally used Adoption Helpers’ services and understand firsthand the impact that respite care can have on families.
How You Can Support Adoption Helpers
Whether you are a foster, adoptive, or kinship family looking for support, someone interested in volunteering, or a community member who wants to help fund free respite care, there are several ways to get involved.
Volunteers: Adults 18 and older can volunteer for in-home respite care, with additional opportunities available at community events.
Community members: Attend Light Up the Night, make a financial contribution, or help spread the word about Adoption Helpers and its services.
Families: Join the Adoption Helpers waitlist to receive information about upcoming in-home respite opportunities.
Learn More About Adoption Helpers →
More Than Respite Care
At the heart of Adoption Helpers is a simple belief: every child deserves a safe and loving home, and every family, no matter how it’s formed—has strength and beauty.
Through free respite care, community events, volunteers, and support from local families and businesses, Adoption Helpers works to equip, encourage, and advocate for families so they can thrive, not just survive.
Whether you need respite care, want to volunteer your time, or simply want to help spread the word, there are many ways to come alongside Adoption Helpers and the families they serve.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adoption Helpers
Who can receive respite care from Adoption Helpers?
Adoption Helpers provides free respite services for foster, adoptive, and kinship families in Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, and Laurens counties. Families do not have to be licensed or have adopted through a specific agency to participate.
What does respite care from Adoption Helpers include?
Adoption Helpers offers short-term respite through in-home care and quarterly Community Respite Events. In-home respite typically provides about four hours of free childcare each quarter, with trained volunteers coming to the family’s home.
How do I request in-home respite care in the Upstate?
Families can join the Adoption Helpers in-home respite waitlist by completing the organization’s online request form. Adoption Helpers will contact families with information about next steps and upcoming availability.
Is Adoption Helpers respite care free?
Yes. Adoption Helpers provides its respite services at no cost to eligible families. Community support, donations, volunteers, and fundraising events such as the Light Up the Night Silent Disco help the organization continue providing these services for free.
Where does Adoption Helpers provide services?
Adoption Helpers currently serves families in six Upstate South Carolina counties: Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, and Laurens.
How can I volunteer with Adoption Helpers?
Adults age 18 and older can volunteer with the in-home respite program. Volunteers receive training and background clearances before serving families. Teen volunteers may also have opportunities to help at Community Respite Events.
When is the Light Up the Night Silent Disco?
The first annual Light Up the Night Silent Disco will take place Friday, September 18, 2026, from 6–9 p.m. at BridgeWay Station in Simpsonville. The family-friendly fundraiser will help Adoption Helpers continue providing free respite services to Upstate families.