Levels of Respite Care as a Family Support System

Abstract

Respite care, which provides the primary caregiver with a break from caring for a disabled child, is an essential service for families with a handicapped member. A review of research shows that respite care can be provided directly (primary respite) or indirectly through early intervention or school programs (secondary respite). Recently the effectiveness of respite care in improving family functioning has been questioned. This paper proposes an expansion of primary respite care to include early intervention services and secondary respite care to include informal social supports for increasing the effectiveness of respite. The experiences of the Delaware FIRST Program, an HCEEP model demonstration project, are drawn upon in both descriptive and case study form, to illustrate one model for expanding respite care services.