Respite Care
Respite care is another voluntary service that can be offered by licensed foster families that helps aid the goal of family preservation. The program offers planned or emergency, short-term, out-of-home care for families who have a child at risk of an out-of-home placement, or for families who need relief for a short time in order to be able to parent a child on a permanent basis. Respite is also sometimes used by foster parents for a child in their care. Respite can provide opportunities for birth parents or guardians to establish a relationship with the respite provider in order to exchange information about the child’s needs and to improve parenting skills.