Closing May 30, 2025: Classes, Playgroups & Childcare at Relief Parenting Respite & Resource Center!
A Note from Krista:
A wise business mentor once asked me, “how do you want to spend your days?”
The question struck a deep chord within me and I’ve spent countless hours reflecting on it.
I want to be the best mother, wife, and friend I can be. I want to savor the simple joys of a clean house, getting lost in a good book, and cultivating a thriving garden. I want to continue expanding opportunities for authentic community as well as advocating for parental support, rest, and relief.
But as much as my heart longs to do it all, I am only one person. I had hoped listing the building for sale / lease would ease the financial burden of such a large space, but that has not come to fruition and the costs are too much to sustain.
After much contemplation, and with a multitude of emotions, I have made the difficult decision to close Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center. Our final day of operation will be Friday, May 30, 2025.
When I opened Relief Parenting in 2018, my dream was to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming space for families—a center where respite, connection, and resources could offer parents the relief they so deeply need and deserve. Thanks to the loyalty and love of our families, staff, and local partners, that dream was not only realized—it grew and evolved in ways I could never have imagined. Relief Parenting became a truly authentic community, and I am forever grateful for the engagement and support we’ve received.
Over the past seven years, Relief Parenting has held space for tears, laughter, and everything in between. It has been an honor to witness life-changing friendships form, to see parents quietly and powerfully restored after a nap in the respite room, and to watch caregivers grow in confidence. It’s been a joy to hear first giggles during Tummy Time, to celebrate baby sign breakthroughs in Sing, Sign & Play, and to see little ones develop their independence in childcare. I will forever carry the memories of our time together with me.
Please know that each and every one of you who walked through our doors has profoundly impacted my life. I still strongly believe in the Relief Parenting mission, the need for parental care, and the benefit of community support. While our Center’s physical space may be closing, the connections we’ve built, the support we’ve shared, and the love we’ve poured into this community will remain—and will always be a part of me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center the first, and only, parenting center of its kind. It has been the greatest honor to serve you, learn from you, and work with you to change the culture of parenting. I will miss seeing you every week.
With love and endless gratitude,
Krista Maltais
Founder of Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center
Now What?
As we move toward our final days, there are several ways you can continue to be a part of the Relief Parenting Mission:
1. Visit Us Before We Close
If you’ve been thinking about visiting to attend our classes or sessions, now is the time! We’re offering a pay-what-you-can option for all our classes, respite, and work room sessions until our final day. Licensed childcare will also be available at our regular rates. Come join us, share your memories, and celebrate what we’ve built together.
2. Share Your Story
If Relief Parenting has made a positive impact on your life, we would love to hear from you. Share your experience through a social media post, a Google review, or a personal message. Your words, photos, and memories mean the world to us and help preserve the legacy of this community.
3. Support Local Businesses
During our time at Relief Parenting, we had the honor of partnering with many incredible local businesses. Please continue to support them and the families they serve—they were an essential part of our mission and your support helps them thrive.
4. Stay Connected
Updates on future endeavors will be shared through our newsletter and social media, so stay tuned. Our mission isn’t ending—it’s evolving!
5. Continue The Relief Parenting Mission
Although our physical location is closing, our community is not disappearing! You can keep the heart of Relief Parenting beating in meaningful ways: normalize asking for help, offer to babysit for a friend, authentically share your parenting experiences, and listen to others without judgment and/or providing unsolicited advice. Your caring will continue to uplift those who need it most.
May – Our Last Month’s Schedule
As thanks, and to provide as much relief as possible during our final weeks, all classes, Respite Room and Work Rooms (private and shared sessions) will be pay-what-you-can. Drop-off / On-site childcare will still be available with our regular (and already affordable) rates. Need help booking? Contact us!
Play While You Can & Pay What You Can
Keep Your Little One Safe – Sign Up Now
Sign Up For One Class or The Whole Series
FAQs
What happens with my membership?
Memberships will expire at the end of the month and will not be renewed. Childcare hours, classes, and services should be booked and completed by May 30th.
Can I use my gift certificate and/or account credit?
Yes; gift certificates and account credits can be used during the final weeks of operation but will expire, without refund, on May 30, 2025.
How long will childcare be available?
Licensed drop-off and on-site childcare will be available during our regular business hours (M,T,R,F 8:45am – 1:15pm) until May 30th.
Will there be an opportunity to gather?
We hope to hold a community gathering towards the end of the month. Once a date and details are confirmed, we will share an announcement.
What’s Next?
While the physical doors of Relief Parenting Center will close, Krista remains deeply committed to advocating for perinatal parents and offering resources to families in new and meaningful ways.
She will continue to serve out her term as Director of Membership for DONA International as well as hold monthly Postpartum Doula Training Workshops.
She will also be available for private parenting and lactation / bottle feeding consultations, public speaking, and local events.
Krista will never stop exploring ways to continue the important work we began at Relief Parenting.
This is not the end—it’s the start of a new chapter.
Relief Parenting Feature Family
My husband, Bryan, has been the steadfast support (and occasional handyman) since the initial idea of “a nap house” more than seven years ago. My oldest son, Hunter, still recalls “demo day” and knocking down a wall to make room in our first location on Route One; my youngest son, Holden, does not remember a time in his life that Relief didn’t exist.
Through it all – my first year as an entrepreneur, a global pandemic, staffing changes, purchasing our Merrill Drive building, and the painful process of closing Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center – my beloved family has been my biggest source of encouragement, understanding, and support.
I look forward to spending more time with them during this next chapter in life (especially while my boys still want me to play). ~ Krista
Relief Parenting Respite and Resource Center
1 Merrill Industrial Drive, Building E, Hampton, NH 03842
