8412.5 Respite Care
CPS January 2026
Respite care services are child care services provided for a brief, specified time. Adoptive families of children with special needs who have a current plan of service with post-adoption services are eligible to receive respite care.
Respite care may be provided for all or part of a 24-hour period, either in or out of the home, for as many as 60 days every 12 months.
Note: DFPS counts any part of a 24-hour period as a day of service.
Respite care may be used to prevent or help resolve a family crisis or address a problem whose solution is critical to the family's healthy functioning. This care must also be included in the adoptive family's service plan.
Note: The contractor must authorize respite care services in advance.
DFPS contracts for respite care to help adoptive families cope with periods of stress.
Examples:
- A member of an adoptive family is suffering from a severe illness.
- A child with a disability requires extraordinary care, and the adoptive parents need occasional relief.
- An abused child or child with a disability needs continuous care during a period of crisis or recuperation, and the parents cannot stay with the child around the clock.
- An adoptive family is either in crisis or experiencing overwhelming stress that will lead to a crisis, and respite care will help to resolve the crisis or relieve the stress.
8412.51 Identifying Eligible Providers
CPS January 2026
Out-of-home respite care must be provided by:
- Registered or licensed day care facilities.
- Licensed or verified foster family homes or group homes.
- Licensed or verified residential facilities that offer specialized care, such as emergency shelters.
- Programs specifically designed to provide respite care to children with special needs, such as “Parents’ Night Out”.
- Individuals selected by the adoptive parents and listed and approved in the plan of service to provide respite care.
In-home respite care must be provided by:
- Individuals (including family relatives) who have been specifically trained to provide respite care to children with special needs.
- Individuals who have been selected by the adoptive family to provide respite care and are listed and approved to provide respite care in the service plan.
8412.52 Defining Units of Service
CPS November 2006
The unit of service for respite care services is either an hour or a day.