an overview georgia program improvement plan - Department of ...

never used respite care, leaving forty percent (40%) who had used respite care. In Fulton County, fifty seven percent (57%) of the sample had used
respite care, leaving forty three percent (43%) who had never used respite care services.
Table 3 displays the reasons that resource families used respite care. The number of participants who stated the reason is also shown.
Table 3
Tally, by reason, for the use of respite care
Reason for respite
Number of participants who used respite
Resource parent was sick 1
Vacation/out of town trip 9
Foster parent conference/seminar 3
Family, personal, or business obligation 5
Break/relief 2
When asked about the benefits of respite care services, several participants talked about “peace of mind” in knowing that their children were being
cared for while they were away. Others were thankful to be able to meet family or business obligations and not have to worry about the children. One
participant talked about a trip in which respite care was provided for her baby. She stated, “My daughter (older) was able to take a friend. We were
able to participate in activities with the older children that we could not have if the baby had gone.” Another resource parent found someone to trade
off childcare responsibilities with. These two parents now provide respite care for each other.
Several of the parents stated there was no negative effect related to respite care services. Four (4) of the participants found it difficult and stressful to
make arrangements for respite care. They talked about the difficulty of locating a provider and not knowing until the last minute whether they would
find a provider.
Nine (9) participants or forty-five percent (45%) of the sample have never requested that a foster child be removed from their home. Eleven (11) or
fifty-five percent (55%) of the resource parents had experienced a placement disruption in their home. Table 4, 5, and 6 show a breakdown of
participants by county and whether the participant had encountered a placement disruption or not. The tables also indicate whether the participant has
used respite care services in the past.
Safe Future – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
November, 2004 Quarter 8 - Work Plan G Page 11