Where To Find Respite Care For Foster Carers

While being a parent can be an incredibly rewarding experience, it isn’t always easy. This can be especially true for foster parents. On top of navigating the foster care system, meeting foster care standards, and liaising with multiple child welfare professionals, you may be supporting a child with special needs, a trauma history, or behavioral challenges. 

Foster parents may struggle with knowing when they need a break. Some may know they need one but feel guilt or shame about needing support. At Trualta, we can help foster parents:

• Learn how to recognize, prevent, and address caregiver burnout
• Learn how to ask for, accept, and find help 
• Access support resources for yourself and your foster child

Trualta can help you on your caregiving journey. Check if you have free access to our educational tools, support resources, and welcoming community. 

In this article, we’ll review:

• What respite care is
• How it can help support foster families and foster children
• Strategies to find respite care for foster carers

Understanding Respite Care

Foster parents are known for being resilient and devoted to the children they care for. Resilience includes understanding your needs and knowing when to ask for help. This can help you be a better foster parent. 

Respite care is when another person, family, or organization provides short term care to your child to give you a break from caregiving responsibilities. This temporary relief allows you time to do important household tasks, rest, or do activities that help you recharge. You can also use respite care for short personal vacations, when dealing with a family emergency, or as a tool to help prevent burnout. 

Respite care can be:

• Planned, when care is organized ahead of time or scheduled regularly.
• Emergency or crisis respite, when the foster family needs temporary care for their foster child in the event of an unsafe situation or the foster youth has challenges coping with their living situation.

Respite can also benefit your foster child! Adjusting to a new home, school, and family can be overwhelming. Additionally, if you’re stressed, chances are that they are, too. Respite care services may give them an opportunity to meet other children, engage in new activities, and have fun. 

Now that you know why respite benefits foster carers and their children, you may be wondering: where can I find respite care for foster carers like me? 

Finding Respite Care For Foster Carers

There are a few resources that can help foster parents find a respite care provider. Some types of respite care are specific respite services for foster families, while others are an added benefit of the service (like a camp or youth group). The type of respite you choose can depend on factors like:

• Cost
• Location accessibility
• Your foster child’s needs
• Your needs as a foster parent

Explore the strategies below to find a respite care option that works best for you and the child you care for.

1. Talk To Your Caseworker

Foster parents know that caseworkers are a valuable resource. Your child’s caseworker can give you their opinion on whether respite care is appropriate for your situation. They may be able to help you find local, trusted, licensed options for respite care that meet the needs of your foster child. 

2. Explore Reputable Organizations

Several organizations specialize in connecting caregivers to respite care options or resources. You can explore these resources to find respite care providers for foster kids in your state:

• The Child Welfare Information Gateway website
• The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center respite locator
• Families Rising website

3. Check Out Community Options

Depending on the needs of your foster child, you may be able to find informal respite care through different community support options. Talk to your caseworker to see which would be appropriate and best support you and your foster child.

• Your support network of friends, family, neighbors, or even other foster families
• Faith or culture-based organizations
• Camps or retreats

If you’re connected with other foster parents or take part in a foster parent support group, these individuals can also be great resources for learning about local respite options they’ve used.

Managing Challenging Feelings

You may be tempted to just “tough it out”, especially if you’re going through a difficult life event. However, trying to foster during a challenging time may lead to more harm than good. Getting the support you (and your foster child) need can help strengthen your relationship and prevent burnout. 

You may worry that respite care can risk damaging your relationship with your child, especially if it was challenging for them to adjust. However, the opposite is true. Allowing foster youth to experience trusting another carer, interact with other children, and engage in activities may help support positive relationships and a sense of independence. Spending time with other foster children may help your child understand that they’re not alone in their fostering experience and that other children live with foster families. It may also help them understand that you will always come back even if you spend some time away. 

Don’t forget to check if you have free access to Trualta to learn more about ways to make your caregiving journey easier. 

References

1. https://www.adoptuskids.org/_assets/files/AUSK/Publications/Respite%20Care%20Services-web508_FINAL.pdf 
2. https://adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care/overview/foster-parenting 
3. http://foster-adoptive-kinship-family-services-nj.org/dont-be-scared-by-respite-care/ 
4. https://adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care/parenting-support/for-foster-parents 
5. https://adoptuskids.org/_assets/files/AUSK/respite-program/creating-and-sustaining-effective-respite-services.pdf