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

2. More respite care providers
3. Easier to make arrangements
4. Timely payment
1. More time: Six (6) participants requested that more days be allotted for respite. It was also suggested that the length and time allotted for
respite care services be based upon: the number of children being fostered, the medical condition of the child(ren), and the nature or extent of
behavior problems displayed by the child(ren).
2. More providers: Five (5) participants said there is a need for more respite care providers. More providers are especially needed to care for
children with special needs. Participants would like the opportunity to network with other foster parents and trade off services. As one
participant stated, “It would make me more comfortable to leave the children with someone I know.”
3. Easier to make arrangements: Some participants stated that the foster parent was responsible for making arrangements and finding a respite
provider. This can be difficult because the foster parent does not always have access to information that can facilitate the arrangements. One
parent stated that the service was, “Not worth the hassle for a day or two.”
4. Timely payment: Four (4) participants would like to see improvements in the timeliness with which respite providers get reimbursed for
expenses. One parent said that she has been a provider in the past but “won’t do it again because it took 3 months to be paid and she was a
provider in July and still has not been paid.”
8 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION:
(1) Results of Georgia's Survey on Newly Approved Foster Homes/Accepting Sibling Groups (with examples of returned survey).
(2) Summary Findings from an Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Respite Care Services for Preventing Disruptions
BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT:
Safe Future – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
November, 2004 Quarter 8 - Work Plan G Page 14