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 care is an essential part of the overall support that families may need to keep their child with a disability or chronic illness at home. United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. (UCPA) defines respite care as "a system of temporary supports for families of developmentally disabled individuals which provides the family with relief. "Temporary" may mean anything from an hour to three months. It may also mean "periodically or on a regular basis." It can be provided in the client's home or in a variety of out-of-home settings," (Warren and Dickman, 1981, p. 3). Respite services are intended to provide assistance to the family, and to prevent "burnout" and family disintegration. Since not all families have the same needs, respite care should always be geared to individual family needs by identifying the type of respite needed and matching the need to the services currently available, or using this information to develop services where none exist. Once identified, it is also important for families to have ready access to that type of respite, in an affordable form.

When I need respite it is usually to get my hair done or a few hours break away from children. With some of my foster children, I just needed a break to go and walk by myself. Or to just sit. I was so tired, quiet was all I craved.

Now, with K, life is easier, but I still need time with children. My husband is the first person to take K, but occasionally I need to run an errand during the day. Then what?

Read this blog later for some ideas!