The paper describes a respite care cooperative in Orange County, California in which parents of handicapped children help other parents by providing a break from continuous care. The model features ongoing training and no cost for services. Goals and principles of the program are delineated, and procedures regarding such aspects as application process, confidentiality, first aid requirements, insurance, job descriptions, meals, and recordkeeping are noted. Parents earn respite time for themselves by providing respite to other families. Appended materials include an example of a respite ledger, discussion of first aid training, and sample respite forms. (CL)