About This Service

Respite care services are for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Respite services assist in maintaining a goal of living in a natural community home and are provided on a short-term, intermittent basis to relieve an individual’s family or other primary caregivers from daily stress and care demands during times when they are providing unpaid care.

Respite care may be provided in the following settings:

• Individual's home or place of residence
• Licensed family foster care home
• Facility approved by the State that is not a private residence (e.g., group home or licensed respite care facility)
• Home of a friend or relative chosen by the beneficiary and members of the planning team
• Licensed camp
• In community (social/recreational) settings with a respite worker trained, if needed, by the family
• Licensed family child care home

Respite care may not be provided by:

• Parent of a minor individual receiving services
• Spouse of the individual served
• Individual's guardian
• Unpaid primary care giver