Respite Guidelines

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National Respite Guidelines (Page 2)

II. Care Needs of Child 2.1 Each child receiving respite services should be treated as an individual, with his or her unique strengths and needs acknowledged and planned for accordingly.
2.1.1	Children should not be grouped or labeled based on their disability and/or presenting diagnosis.
2.1.2	The care provider assigned to the child should have appropriate skills and sufficient information about the child to be sensitive in meeting the child's needs.
2.1.3	Family/child routines and preferences should be respected and maintained whenever possible.
2.1.4	If requested and appropriate, families should be able to receive respite services for all of their children. If respite is offered outside the family's home, siblings should remain together or have access to one another.
2.2 Respite services should be designed to respect each child's privacy and possessions.
2.2.1	When children are receiving respite care in out-of-home settings, they should be permitted to bring with them some special personal possessions in addition to their clothes.
2.2.2	A child's need for privacy should be respected without compromising the child's safety.
2.3 Children need to be cared for in ways that support their physical, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and social well-being.
2.3.1	Children should be encouraged to perform physical activities which they have an interest in, which they are capable of, which they are learning, and which do not compromise their safety.
2.3.2	Children should be encouraged to express their fears, anxieties, frustrations, anger, sadness, and/or joy with adult support, and without compromising the safety of the child, other children, or the care provider(s).
2.3.3	Each child's cultural heritage should be acknowledged and respected. Every effort should be made to incorporate the child's cultural needs into the respite setting.
2.3.4	Each child's spiritual beliefs and practices should be acknowledged and respected. Individual religious practices should only be encouraged if they are at the request of the child and/or family.
2.3.5	Respite services should support a child's social development with respect to the child's cultural and social history. Children should be provided ample opportunity to engage in social activities with other children and adults. Such activities should be developmentally appropriate and should not compromise the child's safety.
2.4 Each child receiving respite care should be provided with interesting, creative and developmentally appropriate activities.
2.4.1	All infants and children should be given stimulation and encouragement to explore their environment.
2.4.2	Television viewing should be minimized for all age groups. If television is viewed, programming should be developmentally appropriate, and the care provider should interact with the child and provide companion activities to enhance the experience.
2.4.3	While in respite care, infants and children should have a structured schedule to help them feel secure. Periodic free play sessions with options and choices for children should be part of the daily schedule.
2.4.4	Care should be given to see that children cared for in mixed age groupings do not become bored with activities above or below their developmental level. Every child needs to experience competencies and challenges that enhance self-esteem.
2.5 Each child receiving respite care is entitled to good nutrition.
2.5.1	Family/child food preferences should be respected in planning and providing for each child's nutritional needs.
2.5.2	USDA nutritional guidelines should be followed for all age groups.
2.5.3	Meals should be attractively presented, occur regularly and frequently, and should never be limited in quantity (unless under physician's orders), withheld, or forced.
2.5.4	Meals should provide a socially pleasant environment and care providers should eat with children.
2.5.5	Children should be encouraged to feed themselves as independently as possible.
2.5.6	Infants should always be held for bottle feedings and spoken to while being fed.
2.6 Children receiving respite care are entitled to experience good hygiene and any needed health care.
2.6.1	Children should be bathed and dressed in clean, appropriate clothing and should be shown respect in the process.
2.6.2	Children should have daily dental hygiene.
2.6.3	Children's hair should be clean and free of lice, and should be brushed and combed as well. A child's hair should never be cut or hair style altered without parental permission. Special hair and skin care should be available for children who need it.
2.6.4	Pertinent medical information should be solicited and kept by the service agency and/or respite provider.
2.6.5	The service agency and/or respite provider should have information on contacting the family in the event of an emergency. When an emergency occurs, the family should be contacted immediately.
2.6.6	A signed consent by the family (primary caregiver; legal guardian) should allow for immediate medical emergency treatment in the event of an accident or illness while the child is in care
2.6.7	Prescription medication that needs to be administered to the child by the provider should be administered only with the written consent of a parent or guardian and under applicable state laws. If the child receives medical attention while in care, written permission to administer medications in accordance with the prescription should be obtained from the physician prescribing medications. Documentation should include date, time, dose, and name of the person who administered the medication. A copy of the medication documentation should be given to the parent/guardian when the child leaves care.
2.6.8	Families should be assisted in accessing any needed health care for their child, if appropriate.
2.7 The respite care setting should be clean, safe, and free of hazards for children.
2.7.1	Children should be free to explore an environment that is free of safety hazards. (For example, a toddler should not be exposed to a play area that includes tiny toy pieces that could end up being choked on or swallowed).
2.7.2	Children should be supervised by an adult at all times while in care.
2.7.3	Children should be protected from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by other children and care providers.
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ARCH
"Access to Respite Care and Help"

ARCH is a National Network and Resource Center designed to create a nationwide system of respite options that provide temporary relief and support to families and caregivers. In order to meet the needs of this nationwide system, ARCH provides information, training, technical assistance, evaluation, and research activities to service providers, families, and states in developing and maintaining respite services. This work affords ARCH an opportunity to view a range of respite models and programs which subsequently brings knowledge of quality of respite services. With the large numbers of new programs springing up across the nation, ARCH believes it is important to establish some guiding principles for respite programs to follow.