Users and non-users of home-based respite care services for parents of children with developmental disabilities were compared. The respite care group showed overall consistent benefits from the respite services in coping resources and stress reduction. (Author/DB)

A survey of 190 families caring for people with mental retardation in North Wales addressed caregivers' assessments of unmet needs, particularly respite care needs; the relation between management of dependency and unmet needs; characteristics of families expressing the greatest need for respite care; and implications for policy and practice.…

Available from: Canadian Association for the Mentally Retarded, Kinsmen National Institute on Mental Retardation Building, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Downsview, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada. A resource home in Saskatoon, Canada, for families of mentally handicapped children provides planned holiday relief for natural and foster families,…

In the Northern Metropolitan Health Region of New South Wales three short-term residential units have opened since 1976. These units cater to clients of all ages with a range of intellectual handicaps. The units provide emergency and holiday relief, plus a variety of assessment and follow-up services. (Author)

This conference proceedings reports on a 1989 meeting addressing respite care for families of children with mental, emotional or behavioral disorders. The conference addressed: (1) respite care concepts, programs, and issues; and (2) planning for designing, financing, and implementing state and local respite programs. The report contains the…

The site visit report describes the Family Support Services program run by the Calvert County (Maryland) Association for Retarded Citizens. The program's goal is to prevent any person 21 years of age or younger from being institutionalized. It provides respite care services, specialized family support, and integrated day care for approximately 50…

Services discussed are directed toward providing relief to parents charged with full-time care of a retarded child. The manner in which this respite care can be provided are explored in areas in or out of the home, on a regular or intermittent basis, and involving additional services. Homemaker, nursing, and babysitter services, as well as foster,…

This policy brief reports on a study of how families and agencies cope with growing waiting periods for community services for adults who have mental retardation or developmental disabilities (MR/DD). Preliminary information looks at reasons for long waits, characteristics of families waiting for services, and impact of adult members with MR/DD on…

This paper profiles nine model programs for supporting families who care for a child with a severe illness or one or more disabilities and discusses current trends as they emerged from interviews with key persons in the field. Core components examined include self-help, advocacy, parent education, respite care, family-centered case management, and…