Continued from here.

You’ve decided that you or your child needs respite. How do you find it?

If the adoption is finalized, the choice is yours, so your options are far greater.

Therapists- Ask your therapist, school counselors, or mental health providers. They will know other parents in your situation who might be interested in trading respite.

Support groups- If you have an in person support group, ask other parents if... more

In my spring cleaning blog I asked for topics that you would like covered. Theresa brought up the $64 million question. Respite, how to get it, getting it covered, etc. I am going to tackle this question because it comes up so frequently with the parents we work with.

First I should address the question of “what is respite?” Respite is like a time out for both parents and kids.

It is a time for the kids to go to another home to... more

So in an earlier post I described respite care, -

If you aren't sure what respite is, here is the brief explanation of respite:

Respite care is the short-term care of a very dependent or difficult child which enables the parents - birth, foster or adoptive - to take a break. Some children's needs require round-the-clock intensive care and parents can soon become burned out. Respite fostering is often very rewarding, and a close relationship... more

Finding respite care for foster and fost-adopt parents can be like finding a last minute Christmas present at the local 7-11. You can do it, but it may not be what you want.

Respite care, simply put, is when you get a much needed break and give your children over to someone else to care for, basically, a babysitter. The difference is that your children may have special needs and you will require a special person to care for your child.

Adoption.com says this in part on the special needs page:

Respite... more

There is a lot of discussion about when is it the time to leave your child with care givers. Owlhaven wrote a great blog about trusting your gut, and going with your own instincts about parenting your child. I’ve written about leaving K, and my separation anxiety here, and how it panned out, on the older-parent adoption... more