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Respite in Community Based Family Resource & Support (CBFRS) Grant Programs |
| What is Respite/Crisis Care and How Does it Fit Into the CBFRS Model? | Respite/Crisis Care provides a continuum of services, from planned temporary
relief for the primary caregiver of children with disabilities or chronic illness, to
emergency care for children at risk of abuse or neglect. CBFRS captures this definition as
"short term care services provided in the temporary absence of the regular
caregiver...to children who are in danger of abuse or neglect, who have experienced child
abuse or neglect, and/or who have disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses. Such short
term care is provided within or outside the child’s home...and is intended to enable
the family to stay together and to keep the children living at home and in the
community." Respite and Crisis Care programs rarely operate in isolation, and may even resemble family resource programs because of the breadth of family support services offered in conjunction with respite. Intended to alleviate social, emotional, and other stresses in families of children who are at risk for abuse or neglect, or who have disabilities, the programs may offer an array of family support services, including individual, family and support group counseling, substance abuse prevention and treatment, sibling care, case management, parenting classes, and information and referral. |
| New CBFRS Legislation Gives States Authority to Use Funds to Start up New Respite and other Family Resource Services | The "Temporary Child Care for Children with Disabilities and Crisis
Nurseries Act" (TCCA) provided the only federal startup dollars for respite (see
"Understanding the Temporary Care Act," ARCH Factsheet Number 31, January 1994).
In TCCA’s consolidation into CBFRS, States retain ability to use funds for
development of new respite programs. TCCA's record for longevity is outstanding; a
majority of programs funded in 1988 continue to provide services through state and private
funding sources. States would find it advantageous to build on this model. Performance measure will require States to demonstrate in their annual report to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services that they have developed new respite and other family resource services to address documented unmet needs identified by the inventory of current services the State must conduct. Since states must provide or arrange for respite as a core service (see below), the need to build capacity of existing respite services is critical. Need for new respite still exists and will intensify as TCCA funds come to an end. Some respite network members have reported waiting lists of 400 to 500 families. The latest evaluation data from ARCH’s annual survey of 175 TCCA grantees found that during an average week, 1,493 families representing 3,425 children are turned away, because the programs do not have the resources to accommodate the need. In the first year of consolidation, TCCA contributed $9.8 million to funding for CBFRS. Less than $4 million of this total will be used to fund current TCCA grantees each year through the end of the grant cycle (FY ‘99). The remaining TCCA contribution of $5.8 million to the CBFRS pot of $32 million, distributed on a formula basis, should allow for the State's ability to make a financial commitment to build and support respite under the umbrella of family resource and support programs. |
| Local Community-Based Family Resource and Support Programs Required to Provide or Arrange for Respite as a Core Service through Contract or Agreement | Respite is a vital component of family support. In a family support services
survey, 82% of the families who use respite and crisis care services responding to the
survey identified respite as a critical component of family support. Respite services are not costly. Small dedication of resources to respite goes a long way. TCCA, with minimal funding, established hundreds of programs in 47 states and one U.S. territory since 1988. In FY 1995 alone, over 12,000 families and 30,000 children were served by TCCA funded respite programs. Respite is an investment that can reduce family stress and the abuse that may result. Many communities where these programs are located have reported reductions in costly out-of-home placements, as well as enhanced family well-being. |
| Individuals and organizations experienced in working with families of children with disabilities, as well as families themselves, must be involved in the network of family resource centers; the additional needs of families of children with disabilities must be addressed | In many states, this population has been overlooked in the provision of family
resource center services. Individuals and organizations which work with families of children with disabilities, as well as families themselves, have a wealth of experience in the family support area. They have much to contribute as vital partners in these new collaborations. Respite is especially valuable to this population, since the need is so outstanding. Children with disabilities are at a significantly higher risk of abuse than the general child population. Updated February, 1998 |
