Respite foster care is used as a temporary break, for children in foster care, children that have additional needs, or children whose families are not coping at any given time for a variety of reasons.
This can mean that some children will only need support during a crisis, while others will need ongoing short breaks to support them and the family they live with. Respite foster care also provides vital support to children and their carers when children are already placed in foster care. Respite care is usually planned and often occurs during weekends or school holidays, but can occur at any time.
Key features of respite foster care:
1. Time limited and short-term: Respite placements are for clearly defined short periods of time, usually ranging from one night to two weeks.
2. Support to existing caregivers: Respite foster carers offer invaluable support to those, who are caring for a child on a full-time basis, including other foster carers.
3. Assessment and approval: The assessment and approval process for carers offering respite care is exactly the same as for all foster carers.
Respite foster care is a key part of supporting children in both the community and those already living with foster carers.
