This page contains excerpts from a document produced Children’s Administration on September 20th, 2002 that reaffirms their commitment to provide respite care services to support children in care.

This policy became effective October 1, 2002.

If you have comments or questions regarding the requirements, please send them directly to Celeste Carey or Nancy Taft, Division of Program and Policy Development, P. O. Box 45710, Olympia, WA 98504-5710; MS 45710; fax (360) 902-7980; or e-mail CACE300@dshs.wa.gov and/or TANA300@dshs.wa.gov.

POLICY

It is the policy of the Children’s Administration to provide respite services to foster parents of children in paid DCFS or Tribal foster care, and to private child-placing agency foster parents of DCFS-placed children.

DEFINITIONS

• Respite care service is the temporary, planned arrangement for substitute parenting or caregiving of a child. Respite care can be arranged in advance or on an emergency basis.
• Respite care services are intended to meet the following needs:
  • To offer relief from parenting and care-giving responsibilities;
  • To allow the caregiver personal time away from home;
  • To provide substitute care in the absence of the caregiver;
  • To provide opportunities to attend overnight training.
  • To allow caregivers access to substitute caregiving to meet emergent situations for the caregiver.
• Respite services are not paid to individuals who reside or live in the caretaker’s residence. Respite services may be provided by a relative of the child or caregiver, only when the respite care provider resides outside the child’s current placement.
• Respite care that is provided outside the child’s caregiver’s home must be provided by individuals who are licensed foster parents or licensed child care providers.
• Unlicensed respite providers can provide respite services only in the child’s caregiver’s home. Unlicensed respite providers must (1) successfully complete a CAMIS background clearance and Washington State Criminal check and (2) meet the standards identified in WAC 388-148-0040 and 388-148-0045. Background checks for unlicensed respite providers will be completed by Division of Licensed Resources staff.
• Licensed child care providers may be used to provide respite care services for respite that is less than 24 hour duration.
• Licensed providers for respite service, must not exceed their licensed capacity and must meet Minimum Licensing Requirements (MLR’s) while providing respite.
• Child - specific respite care plans are an element of the child’s case plan. As appropriate, the need for continued respite service is reviewed at service re-authorization and/or during multidisciplinary staffings.

RESPITE CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

Retention Respite provides licensed DCFS foster homes, licensed Tribal foster homes, and licensed Private Child-Placing Agency foster homes providing care for DCFS-placed children, with regular “time off” from the demands of caregiving responsibilities. Retention Respite guidelines are:

• Retention respite is intended to provide regular, monthly breaks from the demands of foster parenting and can also be used to meet emergent needs of foster parents.
• Retention respite is awarded on a monthly basis per DCFS, Tribal, or Private Agency foster home caring for DCFS children.
• Retention respite is earned by eligible foster families at a rate of two (2) days per month.
• The foster family home may accumulate or ‘bank’ a maximum of fourteen (14) days of retention respite days to be used at one time. Foster parents should be encouraged to use retention respite as it is earned.
• Newly licensed foster parents will have a 30-day waiting period from the first eligible child placement before accruing retention respite.
• A foster family must provide foster care to one or more children at least twenty (20) days in a month to earn retention respite for that month.
• When a day of retention respite is authorized, respite is normally paid for each eligible foster child in the home, regardless of how long the child has been in placement in the home. However, a foster parent can elect to use retention respite for only one child, even though more than one child is in the placement. Whether retention respite is used to meet the needs of one or more children, the time used will be deducted from accrued retention respite days.