Respite care can be a good option when parents need a break from the daily stresses of parenting or have obligations that may prevent them from including their child. The following resources provide information about respite services for resource families.

Don’t Be Scared by Respite Care
Foster and Adoptive Family Services Blog (2017)
Explains respite care and how foster families can take advantage of this service. Respite care can be beneficial for children and families as it allows caregivers to step away from caregiving responsibilities and take a break. Even a short break can help contribute to a long lasting, healthy foster experience.

How Respite Foster Care Works
Craft (2022)
Provides an overview of what respite care for foster families is including state laws associated with respite care and strategies on effectively providing respite care.

Understanding Respite Care
Leidner (2017)
Discusses respite care as a much-needed service for foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Scheduling time for respite allows caregivers an opportunity to take a break to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed by their many ongoing responsibilities. Respite is just as important for children in foster care because they have the chance to build healthy relationships with others, build their self-esteem and social skills, and learn to trust others.

What is Respite Foster Care?
Very Well Family (2018)
Explains the concept of respite foster care, when one family temporarily cares for another family's foster children. This gives the children's original foster family a break so the parents can get away for some restorative time.