Parent
Groups

Respite Care

A major concern and need for adoptive families is appropriate, safe respite care. Respite can be good for both parents and children, though often difficult to find. Creativity is helpful when trying to locate respite providers as it is with other areas of parenting. Some daily activities for children can provide limited respite for parents. If a longer break is needed, the ARCH National Resource Center for Respite and Crisis Care Services has an online site at www.chtop.com that provides fact sheets, a national locator service, and the respite care contact in your state. Fact sheet #33 provides good information on adoption related issues and can be helpful in educating an otherwise appropriate provider.

If your group is interested in establishing a respite program, the information listed above from ARCH would also be extremely valuable. Your respite program needs to fit with the needs of families in your community. A prime example of this is the Take-A-Break Child Care Center developed by the Foster and Adoptive Family Resource & Support Center in Battle Creek, MI. The center provides quality child care on a first come, first served or reservation basis for all community children ranging from two weeks to six years of age. Funding is provided by the Michigan Family Independence Agency, state tuition fees, United Way and many local churches and foundations, to name a few. This enables the center to offer free or reduced-fee services to parents that have an agency referral, Medicaid card or a WIC enrollment.

Another program model, which has a stronger adoption focus, is a weekend camp setting for children 9-11 years of age. A handicapped-accessible camp site is rented one weekend each month and staff are education, social work, and psychology based college students, trained in adoption issues, with camping or kidís club background. Background checks are run on all potential staff. This is also an important area to check out if you are looking at potential providers. Federal grant money provided the base for this program. Adoption assistance and parents provide the rest of the income. Since this provides a wonderful camping experience for the children, it is a win/win option for families. In addition, there are opportunities for sharing their feelings on their adoption experiences with others who understand, facilitated by knowledgeable adults. Therapy dogs are also part of the experience. Children can establish a nurturing trust relationship with the animals. Sometimes this is the first relationship that has felt totally safe to a child.

If you have questions regarding accessing or establishing respite care in your community, contact NACAC at info@nacac.org or 651-644-3036.