This fact sheet focuses on principles and practices of collaboration, especially between community crisis nursery and respite care services for families of children with special needs. First, the paper distinguishes among various ways to share resources, including networking, coordination, cooperation, and then collaboration, which is seen as encompassing the other concepts and resulting in mutual benefit for the participating organizations. Examples of collaboration follow, such as using the agency that licenses foster homes to license family care crisis nursery or respite care homes. Next, two collaborative models are explained, first, the collaborative betterment model which begins outside of the community by agencies or organizations and is brought into the community; and second, the collaborative empowerment model which begins within the community and is brought to agencies and organizations. The collaborative empowerment model is seen as more likely to effect long term change and community ownership. Key principles of this model are listed, followed by guidelines for an effective collaboration process. (DB)