While parents with disabilities may face big challenges, with appropriate supports, many can be great parents. Just like other parents, they do not have to be responsible for every part of childrearing all by themselves. All parents rely on supports to help raise their children, such as day care, carpools, schools, babysitting co-ops, or advice…

Care managers, including nurses and social workers, often lack information that would help them more effectively target services to caregivers' needs. Useful information includes the type of services that will be most helpful for caregivers and the best time to start using these services. Generally, caregivers are simply told what services they…

The Washington, D.C. suburb of McLean, Virginia is one of the most affluent areas in the United States. It is also a community of rare and remarkable power, where politics, military might, and corporate interests converge to create the perfect environment for successful non-profit efforts. On any given day of the week, there is a charity ball or…

The authors describe how 3 groups of family caregivers (spouses, daughters, and sons) are affected by the caregiving role. In addition, clinical considerations and interventions for mental health professionals working with these different groups of family caregivers are discussed. A clinical case example is also presented. (Contains 2 tables.)

The Kalamazoo (Michigan) Parent Respite Care Co-op enables parents of handicapped children to take a break from the daily care their child requires. (SW)

The mother of a mentally retarded adult emphasizes the need for respite care for families and discusses the changes in education since her daughter was of school age. (CL)

The paper describes the Temporary Care Services program in Massachusetts which provides in-home respite care to families with developmentally delayed children. Events which led to the program's development are reviewed. Respite care is offered in six areas: emergencies, scheduled routine events, social activities, family life, child care for…

The nation's child protection system (CPS) has historically focused on preventing maltreatment in high-risk families, whose children have already been maltreated. But, as Jane Waldfogel explains, it has also begun developing prevention procedures for children at lower risk--those who are referred to CPS but whose cases do not meet the criteria for…

A training program taught 120 teenage sitters child care skills identified as important by parents (N=250) of children with disabilities. Training included first aid and 15 hours of instruction emphasizing communication, responsive play, simple behavior management, handling of emergencies, and interviews with parents. The program also linked…

A respite care program in New Jersey provides 50 families of mentally alert severely disabled adults with periodic relief. The program, which featured recreational and social activities, promotes the mental health of parents and families. (CL)

Recent developments in the area of respite care for families of handicapped individuals are discussed. Two programs, the Hartford Regional Center, which has more than 60 licensed respite homes on its lists, and the Respite Care center of the St. Louis Association for Retarded Children, which has a 16 bed facility, are described. (PHR)

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…

The manual considers the development of a respite care program for families of developmentally disabled children. The development of a respite program in the Archdiocese of Denver (CO) is reviewed in terms of policy development, a pilot phase, and problem areas (lack of consumer interest and funding). The rationale for respite care is described…

Describes recent research findings which verify that the loss of leisure for caregivers relates to stress and health problems, discussing what parks and recreation professionals can do to help family caregivers lead balanced lives and examining psychological and physical effects of caregiving, caregivers' lack of leisure, the relationship between…

Transition is a dynamic lifelong process that seeks to meet individual needs as a person with disabilities moves from childhood to adulthood. Per laws in most states, once an individual becomes 18 years of age that person is considered an adult regardless of the level of his or her disability. Initiating planning for adult living activities and…