Respite Care - Everyone needs a break.

What is Respite Care?

Temporary or short-term home care of a child that is provided, either for pay or on a voluntary basis, by adults other than the foster parents, or adoptive parents that the child normally resides with, which is designed to give the parents some time away from the child, and even the child some time away from the parents, to allow them to emotionally recharge and become better prepared to handle the normal day-to-day challenges of parenting.

How Foster & Adoptive Families Benefit?

improve parent/child and sibling relationships

help parents avoid becoming frustrated or angry and thereby avoid compounding the effects of the child’s past abuse and neglect

maintain a healthy family climate even during difficult times

allows the child and parents to pursue an interest, develop a skill, build a relationship, or just have fun

helps children build healthy relationships, self-esteem, and social skills
gives parents time off from parenting and a chance for renewal

Decades of research and evaluation of programs funded and administered by the Children’s Bureau, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have shown that respite care definitely helps adoptive families and their children lead healthier, happier lives, and in some cases has prevented adoption disruption. Specifically, research shows “that the services had helped to improve family relationships, and that their family’s stress level had been reduced. Some families indicated that the respite services had the respite services had prevented adoption disruptions.”

Our Respite Program still under development will offer half-day and full day care for foster and adoptive parents, as well as relative and non-relative caregivers. For information or questions regarding program call 954-439-8832.