III.
Care Providers
Note:
The information presented in this section and the
sections that follow is pertinent for providers
working within a formal respite program which is
administered by an agency. Some of the information
included may also be appropriate for providers who
provide respite services as independent contractors
or as part of a generic community service (i.e.
parks and recreation program), or who provide respite
more informally (i.e. volunteer program, parent
co-op). In situations where cash assistance is provided
for family members to locate, train, and hire their
own provider, then the family may want to directly
address some of the guidelines in this section.
3.1
Recruitment campaigns for providers should be carefully
planned to encourage potential providers to respond
to the need for respite.
|
| 3.1.1 |
Families
should be encouraged to identify providers whenever appropriate. |
| 3.1.2 |
Efforts
should be made to recruit providers from ethnic and cultural
groups similar to the families being served. |
| 3.1.3 |
Efforts
should be made to recruit providers representing both
male and female role models for children. |
| 3.1.4 |
Efforts
should be made to recruit providers who live in areas
easily accessible to families. |
| 3.2
Because providers are the key to successful programs,
it is important to thoroughly assess their qualifications
and character. |
| 3.2.1 |
Providers
should be of good moral character and have no record of
committing crimes against children. |
| 3.2.2 |
Providers
should be knowledgeable about child development and developmentally
appropriate activities. |
| 3.2.3 |
Providers
should have experience working with the population of
families and children they are serving (i.e., families
of children with disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses;
families in crisis) and demonstrate compassion and understanding. |
| 3.3
Paid staff should be paid a worthy wage for their work. |
| 3.3.1 |
Respite
programs should make every effort to pay providers wages
appropriate to their level of experience and the type
of care they give. |
| 3.3.2 |
Whenever
appropriate and possible, providers should receive benefits
such as health insurance, paid sick and vacation days,
and a retirement package. |
| 3.4
Whether performing their work in the company of co-workers
or in the isolation of their home or the family's home,
providers should have access to peer support for the difficult
and challenging work they do. |
| 3.4.1 |
Regular
staff meetings and inservice training should be available
to all providers. |
| 3.4.2 |
An
administrative staff person should be assigned the duty
of maintaining consistent and ongoing contact with providers
to answer questions, listen to their grievances, and share
in the joys of providing respite services. |
| 3.4.3 |
In
case of emergencies while a child is in care, providers
should have access to an administrative staff person at
all times. |
| 3.5
Providers and volunteers should receive preservice training,
as well as regular inservice training on topics relevant
to their work. |
| 3.5.1 |
Family
members should be involved in determining training content
and in assisting in the training of providers. Training
could involve formal group presentations, as well as direct
training of providers by family members in the home. |
| 3.5.2 |
Providers
should receive training which not only enhances their
skills, but it lets them know they are a valued
member of a team, worthy of receiving information to improve
the quality of their work. Whenever possible, providers
should be involved in determining the training and in
assisting in the presentation of training. |
| 3.5.3 |
Providers
should receive training prior to giving care to children.
Training should be individualized to meet the needs of
providers. In some situations, providers may already possess
the requisite skills and background. In general, the following
topics should be included in training for providers caring
for children. Additional topics may need to be added in
specific circumstances.
- Overview
of respite services
- Confidentiality
- Policies
and procedures for the respite program
- Child
development
- Conditions
of children which providers are likely to encounter,
such as disabilities, chronic or terminal illnesses,
and children at risk for abuse and neglect
- Emergency
procedures (First Aid, CPR, program emergency protocols)
- General
information about the spread of infectious disease,
and universal precautions to be used in the care of
children to avoid the spread of disease
- Behavior
management; what behaviors to expect from children
with disabilities and chronic or terminal illness
and/or children whose family is experiencing crisis;
managing children with difficult behaviors
- Effective
ways to work with families of children with disabilities
and chronic or terminal illnesses and/or families
in crisis
- Program
procedures for the administration of medication and
other health related tasks; special hair and skin
care
- Cultural
diversity and sensitivity
- Child
abuse and neglect detection and reporting protocol
- Crisis
intervention; issues in domestic violence and substance
abuse
- Planning
and preparing developmentally appropriate activities;
maintaining appropriate routines and schedules for
children
|
| 3.5.4 |
Providers
and programs should exceed state licensing requirements,
as needed, in determining the ratio of children to providers
to meet the special needs of particular children.
Children in respite care frequently have additional needs
for assistance and supervision. Providers can more readily
respond to those needs if they have only a few children
in their care. It is recommended that the adult/child
care ratio be determined by the individualized needs of
each child. In practice this will mean that some care
will be appropriately provided in small groups, and, in
some instances, care will be provided on an individual
basis. |
| Next
Section, Community Involvement |
