In spite of the growing awareness and development of respite services, many families in need of them have little or no access. This is especially true for families whose children have emotional handicaps. A rationale for respite services supports parents' entitlement to respite care, its importance to all family members, and its help in improving…

The monograph provides an historical overview of services for families of disabled children and considers strategies for increasing family support. The historical analysis traces factors influencing the lack of priority placed on family services and describes trends in family resource services. Advantages and drawbacks of the continuum and array…

Presented is the manual which resulted from a project to develop a program of relief or respite care for families with developmentally disabled members. Background on the respite care approach in Montgomery County (Maryland) is reviewed, and a long range and immediate goals of the project are outlined. Noted among results of a survey to determine…

Camp Fire's Special Sitters Project addresses the need for respite care experienced by parents of disabled children. The project trains teenagers to care for young handicapped children and links the teenagers with parents who call for babysitting service. The project has been successfully replicated in five communities. (Author/JDD)

Considerations related to the design and development of a respite care service delivery network for families of developmentally disabled persons are addressed. A five-component model for developing a respite care service network is presented, focusing on the need for competency-based service-provider training and parent involvement. Lastly,…

Basic information about respite care for individuals with disabilities and their families is presented in a question-and-answer format. The following questions are addressed: "What is respite?"; "Who needs respite services?"; "Who provides respite services?"; "What kinds of services are provided?"; "How…

In a program developed at Merrywood School (Bellevue, Washington), four key components were identified as critical to successfully placing disabled children in foster care: identification and recruitment of stable, motivated, and qualified foster parents; preparation of foster parents; support for foster parents' needs; and development of creative…

Four manuals on implementing the Partners Respite Model, which provides respite care for children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, comprise this document. The Community Planning Manual offers a step-by-step guide to replication of the Partners Respite Model and is divided into sections on developing the Partners program, implementing the…

This conference proceedings reports on a 1989 meeting addressing respite care for families of children with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders. The conference addressed: (1) respite care concepts, programs, and issues; and (2) planning for designing, financing, and implementing state and local respite programs. The report contains the…

This paper reports on several projects conducted in Georgia over the past 2 years that move the development of respite care services toward the goal of becoming a "cooperative, collaborative, and coordinated" effort. An overview of respite care in Georgia is provided as well as a summary of strategies used to provide such care. Emerging…

The report describes the first national conference on temporary family supports and integrated respite services systems for the developmentally disabled held in 1978. Program planning information is presented along with evaluation feedback summarized from participant responses. Recommendations from the conference are discussed, including…

This paper proposes an expansion of respite care for families of handicapped children to include early intervention services and informal social supports. The experiences of the Delaware FIRST Program are described, focusing on using family day care as a respite service, training for family intervention, and emphasizing family-oriented resources.…

Temporary child care programs, such as crisis nurseries or respite care services for children with special needs, need to develop and implement a risk management program to address any difficulties that might be encountered in providing direct care services. Risk management is a structured process to minimize potential liability, avoid harm to…

This site visit report describes the development and activities of the New Hampshire Family Support Network for families of people with developmental disabilities, and is based on a review of documents, interviews with key people, and participant observation. It begins with a brief history of family activism in New Hampshire, noting the early high…

This report discusses issues regarding the out-of-home placement of children with developmental disabilities and the need for permanency planning for these children. The document reports on a project which sought to: (1) discern practices of Colorado's Department of Social Services and Division for Developmental Disabilities which affect the…