What is Respite Care?

Respite care is a form of short-term substitute care for children with special needs, be it mental, emotional, or physical, and is provided by someone other than parents or the usual 24/7 caretakers of the child. It gives parents a break from their exhausting job.

Remembering the Schwenkers

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If you knew Mike Schwenker's parents, please go to the Remembering the Schwenkers page. 

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Who Needs Respite?

As a group, parents of special needs children are more stressed, and even more at risk for divorce, or worse. Also, according to ARCH National Respite network, three fifths of family caregivers age 19-64 surveyed recently by the Commonwealth Fund reported fair or poor health, one or more chronic conditions, or a disability, compared with only one-third of non-caregivers. Respite is something that parents of special needs children desperately need.

The Challenge

Although  programs in Georgia exist to help these parents, such as the NOW waiver,  there is a very long waiting list and very little money available. Many families, as a result, don't have funds available for such an essential service, putting a strain on them physically, emotionally, and financially.

What does Special Needs Respite Do?

Special Needs Respite helps bridge the existing funding gap that many parents have when trying to get childcare for their special needs child. We can provide funds that will pay qualified caregivers to care for these children when no other way to pay is available to the parents.