Respite care is a support service for all licensed families which 

·          provides a scheduled period of rest and relief from ongoing parental responsibilities usually, but not necessarily, for an overnight period

Such respite time may include a family vacation with the foster child. (See below.) 

·          allows for the planned care of Department children by alternative providers with no disruption to the licensed parent’s reimbursement, and 

·          assists in decreasing placement disruptions. 

Cross-Reference:  For information regarding the use of day care providers and babysitters, see Policy 36-55-25.10, “Day Care for Foster Children”.

Definitions

A respite care provider is

 ·          a licensed foster or pre-adoptive parent in good standing who does not have a placement or who is under the licensed bed capacity

or

·          a person who is not licensed but who has completed a Department approved authorization process to provide respite care, as specified in Policy 41-25-7.1, “Authorization to Provide Respite Care”

or

·          a relative, friend or other individual who is not licensed, or who has not completed the Department’s respite care authorization process, but who has been approved by the child’s Social Worker.

-          The child’s Social Worker must complete Protective Service and State and local police background checks of an individual who is not a Department licensed or authorized provider.

-         Overnight respite care provided by a person who is not a Department licensed or authorized provider must take place in the licensed foster parent’s home.

The matcher is the designated FASU Social Worker who

·          receives a respite request

·          determines a licensed family’s eligibility to receive respite care

·          facilitates a match, if the licensed family has not identified a respite care provider

·          maintains a log of requests, and

·          documents and tracks the number of respite days used to assure compliance with eligibility requirements.

Types of Respite Care

The types of respite care are

·          general respite care for any child

·          child-specific respite care for an identified child only, or

·          family-specific respite care for any child who may be placed in a particular licensed home.

When Respite Providers are Employed or Occupied Out of the Home 

Respite providers who are employed or who are otherwise occupied for a substantial amount of time away from the home may provide respite care if the child can remain with his/her existing day care provider while the respite provider is out of the home.

Respite Care for Children with Complex Medical Needs

Any person who wishes to provide respite care for children with complex medical needs must complete the certification training and child specific training required for the respite care of these children in addition to any requirements for licensure or authorization, as stated in the policies listed below.

Cross-Reference:

·          41-7-4, “Children with Complex Medical Needs:  Support Services and Educational Training”

·          41-25-7.1, “Authorization to Provide Respite Care”

The FASU worker shall notify licensed parents at the time of licensure and again at relicensure about the availability of respite care. The parents and FASU Social Worker shall sign an acknowledgment form, DCF-2143, "Respite Care for Foster Families."

Eligibility Criteria to Receive Respite Care

Licensed parents who are in good standing with the Department are eligible for up to fourteen (14) days of respite care annually (per calendar year).

Exceptions to the above criteria may be made on a case by case basis and require the approval of a Program Director.

One (1) day of respite care covers all foster or pre-adoptive children in the licensed home on that day, regardless of whether those children were previously involved with respite care in another licensed home.

A licensed foster or pre-adoptive parent may provide an unlimited number of respite days per year. 

An authorized respite provider

·          may provide a maximum of ninety (90) respite days per calendar year.  An authorized provider who wishes to provide respite care more than ninety (90) days per year must become licensed to provide foster care.

·          may not provide respite care to an individual child for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days.

When a licensed parent needs respite care, the parent or the child's Social Worker shall notify the matcher. 

The matcher shall

·          log all requests on the “Respite Care Placement Request”, DCF-763 

·          notify the child’s Social Worker and the FASU support worker of the request 

·          consult with the child’s Social Worker or the licensed parent, as necessary, to assess the appropriateness of the request and the proposed arrangements, and 

·          match the child or children with a respite provider who is a licensed or authorized provider.

The child’s Social Worker may approve an unlicensed or unauthorized provider after completing safety checks, as explained in the definitions above.

·          A person who is not licensed for foster or pre-adoptive care, or not authorized by the Department to provide respite care, shall stay in the foster parent’s home if overnight respite is provided.

The licensed parent shall 

·          contact the approved respite care provider

·          make all arrangements for the provider to come into the licensed home, if appropriate

·          facilitate the respite placement in the respite provider’s home or request the Social Worker’s assistance, when needed, and

·          supply the respite provider with the child’s profile (DCF-1095), medical card, and all supplies necessary for the child’s care; e.g., medications, medical equipment, special formula, diapers, clean clothes, car seat, portable crib, favorite toy.

The child’s Social Worker shall ensure that blank copies of form DCF-1095, “Profile of Child for Respite Care”, are included in the Placement Portfolio which is provided to the licensed parent at the time of the child’s placement.

The family's assigned FASU support worker shall instruct the licensed parent on the completion and use of the DCF-1095 for respite care. 

When respite care is needed, the licensed parent shall

·          complete the DCF-1095 with information necessary for the child’s care and give it to the respite care provider

·          discuss the child’s needs with the provider

·          retrieve the DCF-1095 at the conclusion of the respite period.

Completion and Documentation of Respite Care

The table below presents the procedures for documenting the completion of respite care.

Reimbursement to the respite provider is $25.00 a day for each child for twenty-four (24) hour care.

The Office of Foster and Adoption services shall compile and report on respite care statistics.

Money for vacations for a foster or pre-adoptive child is included in the foster care reimbursement rate.  However, there may be unusual situations when taking the child on a vacation with the family would create a financial hardship for the parents. In these situations, in lieu of placing the child with a respite care provider, the parent may request approval to use respite care money to enable the child to accompany the family on vacation.

If the request is approved, the foster parent will receive payment equaling up to an annual maximum of fourteen (14) days of respite care money.

Utilize the following procedures to request respite care money for such a vacation: