Respite Guidelines

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National Respite Guidelines (Page 5)

V. Service Delivery 5.1 Respite services should be "family friendly" and easy to access. It should be clear to families what they need to do to receive services (e.g., who to call, paperwork, eligibility).
5.1.1	Programs should have one point of entry for families to access services (e.g. help line, referral agency, case management).
5.1.2	Programs should make the entry process clear to families and simple to follow.
5.1.3	Programs should have guidelines for eligibility, selection, and priority for services.
5.1.4	If necessary, programs should maintain a waiting list and provide respite services to those families as soon as possible.
5.2 Respite services should be planned and developed so that a variety of family needs can be met. Service options need to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs of families.
5.2.1	Services should be available during the day, for overnight care, and for longer periods of time, if necessary.
5.2.2	Services should be made available in generic community settings where families receive other services, whenever possible.
5.2.3	Services should be made available on a planned or immediate basis, to be responsive to family needs. Families should have a choice of provider and should be able to request a change in provider.
5.3 In order to offer families a range of service options which will meet their current and future needs, communities and programs should provide service options that address the needs of families. Respite services could include the following:
	An in-home program, where services are provided in the family's home or a care provider's home A center-based program, where families bring their child to a facility in their community to receive respite care A child care setting, such as a child care center or a family day care home, which is designed to provide respite care in addition to their regular child care services Recreational programs provided through parks and recreation departments and YMCA agencies, which provide recreational programs that offer families respite breaks Generic community programs where children receiving respite services are integrated into programs provided for all children Summer camps that provide day time or overnight options Residential and group home programs Licensed foster homes for children Emergency shelters for children and shelters for the homeless Hospital-based programs Cash assistance or parent subsidies so families can pay for and access respite care options of their choice Registries that list providers so families can make their own decisions on choice of providers
5.4 In addition to respite care, many programs provide additional related services to enhance the respite experience and to meet other needs that families may have. Agencies should facilitate each family's awareness of, and access to, additional services within the agency, and from other agencies or sources. These services could include:
	Transportation Parent education Parent, sibling, and family support groups Counseling and therapy services Case management or service coordination Early intervention services
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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.