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After my foster parent application was approved by Gateway Residential (a private foster home agency) I waited for my first foster child placement. After a month or so I became antsy, so I joined a local foster parent association and attended a few meetings. It was through this association that I first learned about respite care.
Respite care is basically kid-sitting for foster children by other certified foster parents. If a foster parent has to leave town for a while and can’t take the kids, or for some reason needs a short break from the kids, they can request respite care. The foster kids are then temporarily placed in a different home – the home of a respite care provider. The length of time may be hours or days.
Since my first placement was taking so long, I signed up to provide respite care for other foster parents. Through this process I met brothers L & C, who were 10 and 7 years old. Later I met brothers C & B, who were 6 and 5 years old. Little B was a terrific kid who had the misfortune of being afflicted by cerebral palsy, mostly in his legs.
L & C during a respite visit.
