The evidence that the birth of a child with a disability leads to divorce or separation is equivocal, with the majority of recent research suggesting that such a birth and childrearing may be stressful, but not necessarily toxic, to the caregiver relationship. Such research has been limited by small sample sizes and nonrepresentative samples and…

This report examines respite care services that provide temporary relief to family members and other caretakers of children at risk of abuse or neglect including children who are mentally retarded, behaviorally disturbed, physically disabled, or chronically or terminally ill. In 1988 the 25 states surveyed funded 111 respite care programs as did…