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Respite Care is temporary care for a child placed out of the home to allow the caregiver and/or the child a short-term break. As one respite dad put it, “We can’t foster full-time right now, but doing weekend respite gives me the opportunity to be ‘fun uncle’ while helping out. And we’re learning a lot. Even if the child is coming because the caregiver needs a break from some challenging behaviors, we know that a break can make a big difference.”
Respite can be a few hours, a few days, or longer in instances such as a medical emergency or family crisis. Becoming a respite provider is rewarding and beneficial in many ways.
Respite providers:
- gain valuable experience caring for children in out-of-home care before committing to full-time fostering or public adoption
- support children and families in their communities in a meaningful way
- help expand the safety net of support for caregiver families
- can create consistent, long-term, supportive relationships and mentorships for kids
Getting Started
- Reach out to your county Department of Health and Human Services office or a local private child placing agency about becoming a respite provider for families in your community.
- Want to provide respite for a child/family you already know? Ask the caregiver to put you in touch with their licensing worker to learn more about their county or agency’s respite process.
To learn more about respite home eligibility requirements, see Chapter DCF 56.