Children’s Respite Care
Children’s Respite Program
The demands on a family who has a child with a disability is often challenging. Respite support offers families, a much-needed break. Respite is also about meaningful relationships that develop between the child and the respite contractor. The respite contractor often becomes like an extended family member to both the parents and the child.
Community Options is committed to providing quality community-based respite support for children with disabilities. Respite services are funded and referred by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Children and Youth with Support Needs. Services are coordinated and contracted through Community Options. Community Options does not maintain a waitlist or apply fees.
Safety, well-being and respect for the child and their family is paramount and potential respite contractors are carefully screened.
The person served and their respite contractor have the choice of having the respite provided in their own home or the contractor’s home. The hours, days and frequency of support may vary. A respite contractor assumes the usual daily activities that a parent or primary caregiver does. Community Options coordinates respite by recruiting, screening caregivers and providing the payment for service to the respite contractor.
Eligibility for Children’s Respite Program
Families are referred to Community Options by the Child and Youth with Support Needs (CYSN) office within the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD).
Eligible families have a child aged 0-18 years (service ends the month of the child’s 19th birthday) with a developmental disability and/or autism. MCFD determines which families we serve; Community Options does not maintain a waitlist.
Becoming a Respite Contractor
If you are interested in becoming a respite contractor, please call our office at 250-380-6363 to speak with a Coordinator who will provide you with some basic information and answer any questions you may have. If you prefer, you can also fill in this pre-screening form. Applicants with previous experience and related skills would be an asset.
Respite contractors are not employees of Community Options. They are self-employed and the specific provisions of the relationship with Community Options are laid out in the Contract.
To learn more about the Community Options Children’s Respite Program, please call us at 250-380-6363 or contact a Children’s Respite Coordinator:
Sharie Young – Children’s Respite Coordinator
Margaret Treleaven – Children’s Respite Coordinator