FAQs

Nope! We’ve served families with children as young as 3 months and as old as 43 years. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their age!

Our mission at Barren Heights is to love families with the love of Christ, but you are not required to be a Christian to be a part of our community. We do not discriminate against age, race, gender, or religion. We do ask our Retreat Volunteers to adhere to and agree with our Statement of Faith.

At Barren Heights, we specialize in serving families who have physical or developmental disabilities. Some children have mental illnesses and behavioral disorders in addition to a physical or developmental disability, however, having only a behavioral or mental disorder does not qualify. Additionally, an ADHD diagnosis alone does not qualify for a Barren Heights Retreat. While we understand that there are many families that could use a break from day-to-day challenges, Barren Heights has limited spaces available. Regardless of if you qualify for a retreat, we encourage you to stay plugged into our Community. We host a wide variety of events throughout the year.

Yes! While it is true that you’re going down to camp, your cabins are more like tiny homes! There are plenty of outlets as well as a mini-fridge for your personal use.

We provide the majority of the food for the weekend, but you’re welcome to bring additional snacks for your child’s dietary needs or personal preferences. Each family’s cabin has a personal mini-fridge that you are more than welcome to use! We do not provide dinner on Friday night or lunch on Sunday; however, all other meals are provided.

After you’ve been approved for a retreat, you will begin to receive emails and letters that contain everything you need to know regarding your weekend. You can also always call our office during regular hours if you have questions!

Our mission is to focus on families and strengthen the bonds within. That being said, we encourage you to bring only those in the immediate family. If you have an extended family member (aunt, grandparent, etc.) you’re interested in bringing because they frequently assist with your child’s needs, please email us! Your request will be reviewed on a case by case basis by a panel and then you’ll receive a decision via email.

Each retreat, there are four host families who will serve three guest families. Size varies from week to week – we accept all families, big and small!

Animals are not allowed on the Barren Heights premise unless they are a certified service animal. If you feel that your pet may be the exception to this, please fill out a contact us form, and we will have our panel review your request.

Deposits are fully refundable to guest families at the end of each retreat weekend! We ask for the initial deposit simply to hold your spot for a given weekend.

If you require financial assistance, please fill out an application followed by a separate email to events@barrenheights.org letting us know about your need. We are happy to help!

Life happens and sometimes you suddenly can’t attend a retreat. We get it! Rescheduling is often easy and you will not have to pay the $50 deposit a second time. However, please know that your deposit is no longer refundable if you cancel less than 30 days in advance of your retreat. This is simply due to the fact that we begin preparations four weeks out from a given retreat. Contrarily, deposits are fully refundable for cancellations made more than 30 days from a retreat. If this happens to you, please call our office to talk with a staff representative!

Guests will arrive at the campsite between 6-8 pm Central Time on a Friday and will be heading home at 12 pm Central Time on Sunday morning.

Your private cabin includes a modern kitchen, air conditioning, large ADA accessible bathroom, a queen size bed, and a pull out couch. For larger families, our Myrtle cabin has a bunk bed for additional sleepers! Camp mat beds are also offered for even larger families to supplement the current accommodations. Each cabin is fully furnished with a kitchen table, fireplace, couch, decor, etc.. While you will be at a campsite, you will actually be "glamping." Additionally, to encourage special family time during your retreat, there are no phones or televisions installed in the cabin! You are, however, allowed to bring devices along for personal quiet time in your cabins before bed. Take a look at the inside of a guest cabin HERE!

Our Retreat Center is located at 145 Yacht Club Dr., Scottsville, KY right on Barren River Lake. Our Community Center/Administrative Offices are located at 11420 Watterson Court Suite #800, Louisville, KY in the Brandeis Office Park.

Many of our families have members looking to fill volunteer/service hours! Serving for a retreat weekend qualifies as 16 hours of service. Serving at a Community Center event, however, will qualify for varying hours depending on the event.

At this time, transportation is not provided by Barren Heights. Everyone is responsible for getting themselves to and from camp.

Because Barren Heights is not a benevolence foundation, we do not offer financial or in-kind (ex. groceries, medicine, other physical needs) support at this time. However, please feel welcome to submit a Contact Us form so we can do our best to connect you to an organization that matches your need.