What are respite care services? Respite programs provide assistance for families or caregivers of children with special needs. These may be children with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses, or children at risk for abuse and neglect. Federal legislation also defines respite services as in-home or out-of-home temporary, non-medical child care.

Respite care may help your family:

• Engage in meaningful activities and have fewer feelings of isolation
• Rest or engage in stress-relieving activities
• Manage responsibilities better
• Increase your stability during crisis situations
• Decrease the pressures that might lead to divorce, institutionalization, abuse, or neglect

Respite care also helps a child with disabilities to enrich his or her own growth and development.

Respite services can range from a few hours of care to several consecutive days, depending on family needs and service availability. You may pay for respite care services at an hourly or daily rate. Sometimes you can pay on a sliding fee scale. Family resource centers and regional centers can provide information on funding and service providers for respite programs.

State and National Resources

http://www.respitelocator.org/
National Respite Network website with its locator for finding respite services

http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/general/respite.htm
Family Village website with links to general information on obtaining and using respite services

http://www.childneurologyfoundation.org/main_advocacy_2.cfm
The Child Neurology Foundation’s respite care workbook, called “About Our Family,” which is a tool to create dialogue about the importance of respite care for families

http://webcast.you-niversity.com/youtools/companies/viewArchives.asp?affiliateId=109 
The Child Neurology Foundation website with archived webcast on respite care

http://chtop.org/ARCH.html
ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center
Supports service providers and families through training, technical assistance, evaluation, and research
(919) 490-5577

http://wmoore.net/therapy.html/
Therapy/Respite Camps for Kids
Information about summer camps around the country that focus on therapy for kids with special needs or respite for the kids and their families.

http://www.specialnanny.com/
A Special Nanny
Service providing professional nannies and one-to-one aides for families of children with special needs living in the greater Bay Area.
Los Gatos, CA
Ph: 408.358.1065

San Mateo County Resources

http://www.ggrc.org/resource/mailform/family_information.htm
Golden Gate Regional Center
Resource guide for parents of children with developmental disabilities
San Mateo, CA
(650) 574-9232

http://www.scribblesandgiggles.com/
Scribbles & Giggles
Respite for children with special healthcare needs
Saratoga, CA
(408) 378-9450

http://www.c-a-r.org/respite.html
Abilities United (formerly CAR Respite)
Highly trained home companions for people caring for a family member with a developmental disability
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 618-3317

http://www.parca.org/raji.html
Raji House
Parca’s weekend out-of-home respite services for families who have children, ages 5–17, with developmental disabilities
Burlingame, CA
(650) 344-3652

San Francisco Resources

http://www.ggrc.org/
Golden Gate Regional Center
Corte Madera, San Francisco, and San Mateo, CA
Respite care, as well as many other resources and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families
(415) 546-9222

http://www.janetpomeroy.org/
Janet Pomeroy Center (formerly Recreation Center for the Handicapped)
Respite care in addition to many other programs and services for children and adults with disabilities
(415) 665-4100

http://www.talklineforparents.org/
Talkline Family Support Center
Services include 24-hour crisis line, parent drop-in center, respite care, parent and child counseling, and other family support services
(415) 661-8666
415-441-5437 (415-441-KIDS) Crisis Line

http://www.growthhouse.org
Growth House, Inc.
Provides a directory of more than 150 agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area that offer support for end-of-life care and bereavement
(415) 863-3045

 References

http://chtop.org/ARCH.html 
ARCH National Respite Network, with fact sheets and links to respite information, products, and services