Respite Child Care

Summary

Families in low income communities risk developing social problems. This paper presents a preventive project designed to provide respite care for families under stress in a high-risk community. This action-research project focused both on preventing family deterioration and on promoting empowerment. Key strategies included providing relief for stressed parents, keeping children in the local community, and promoting support and empowerment among families. Findings suggest that the respite care service was relevant to local needs. Stressed families obtained needed rest while their children remained in their local community and participated in regular activities. Group and pairing strategies had a limited impact on networks but empowerment strategies helped increase individual and community competence.