Findings of an evaluation of a pilot home-based respite care program designed to serve 35 severely mentally retarded and disabled persons were reported. Results indicated that respite care services had never been previously received by 51.8% of the families. (Author/SB)

This report focuses on positive practices in providing support services to families of children with severe disabilities and chronic illnesses, based on visits to three sites in Maryland: the Family Support Program at the Kennedy Institute in Baltimore, the Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care, and Sick Kids Need Involved People (SKIP).…

The manual discusses home based approaches to support families of developmentally disabled children. The first section presents in question and answer format the rationale for such support services. Succeeding sections address the following aspects: respite care, sitter/companion services; parent counseling, education, and training; in home…

Respite care provides relief or backup emergency care for families of individuals who are developmentally disabled. In sparsely populated rural areas, center-based urban models for service delivery and provider recruitment and training may be inappropriate. Las Cumbres Learning Services has developed a model for provision of respite care services…

The findings of a 1978 project of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council on the need for respite care services and the various models for delivery of respite care are reported. Methodology included review of respite care regulations in 12 states, site visits and a survey of Massachusetts programs, and a survey of 339 families with…

Special Training for Exceptional People (STEP) is a private, nonprofit agency serving children with developmental disabilities (0-22 years) and their families in the south-central section of Montana, encompassing Billings and a Crow Indian Reservation. One of the services provided by STEP is specialized family care, to prevent placement out of…

This report describes a model designed to provide family-centered, community-based coordinated services for families and their children with chronic health care needs. The model, which was implemented to serve 208 children over a 5-year period, is based on three key concepts: families should have the choice to receive services in their homes and…