DCF Respite Program

DCF Respite (Department of Children and families) DCF Respite provide services to individuals between ages 0 to 21. It provides family caregivers with a short period of rest or relief by arranging alternate care-giving for the family member with a developmental disability. 

This program is designed to give parents/caregivers  the opportunity to leave their loved ones with a worker of their choice while caring for their personal or family activities such as: purchasing food for the house, go for church services, etc. 

Respite services as part of a service plan can achieve several goals:

1. avoid “burnout”

2. reduce stress

3. prevent family disruption

4. enhance relationships

Agency Hired Respite/ In-home Respite: It is an individualized care service offered to ensure that people with developmental disabilities are cared for in their own home in order to provide some relief to their caregivers. 

Agency Weekend Recreation: provides social and recreational experiences for children outside of their homes, sometimes includes a community outing component and these include: Movies/Theatre, Shopping Malls experience, Parks, Bowling, Restaurants, Sports/Fitness events and activities, Library, Museums, Indoors vocational.

Self-Hired Respite (SHR): This service is provided to families who want to recruit and hire their respite worker of choice. The SHR worker must be a non-household member over 18 years of age. The family pays the worker directly and sends the paperwork in support of reimbursement to the agency on a monthly basis.