Respite Care at The Darling Home for Kids
In our Respite Program, we provide care in a safe home-like environment with highly qualified staff, giving parents a much-needed break. While at the Home, children benefit from a variety of therapeutic programs and activities and are given the opportunity to play and thrive in an environment that is specifically designed with their unique needs in mind.
A typical weekend respite stay is 48 hours and during peak times we offer respite stays of up to one week. In addition to overnight care, we also offer day programs. During their stay, children will receive care in a supervised, non-invasive, and stimulating environment.
We understand the importance of respite for families caring for a child with complex medical needs. That’s why we offer respite services on weekends, including long weekends, as well as throughout the summer, Winter Break, and March Break. As a family in our program, you can expect a minimum of one respite stay every 3 months.
To make sure we can accommodate your needs, we send out a quarterly survey where families can indicate their preferred respite dates for the next three-month period. Our Care Team will then review all the requests and confirm the respite schedule, letting you know your confirmed dates as soon as possible. If you don’t submit your respite request, there may be limited options available. While we will do our best to accommodate everyone, families who have already been scheduled will take priority. But don’t worry, we always reserve a few spaces for crisis stays and for new families to participate in respite after the formal selection process is complete.
At The Darling Home for Kids, our goal is to support you and your child.
Respite Program Eligibility Requirements
Children must:
- be between the ages of 0-18 years.
- qualify for enhanced respite funding (i.e. your child’s needs have been designated as medically fragile and/or technology dependent). For more information about this definition, please review the criteria outlined by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
- live in the Peel/Halton/Waterloo/Wellington/Dufferin area.
- require ongoing, frequent nursing interventions and monitoring on a daily basis for survival.
For Example:
– Tracheostomy tube care
– Airway management (suctioning, repositioning, chest physiotherapy, aspiration risk)
– Oxygen support
– Tube feeding (G-tube, GJ tube, NG tube)
– Routine urinary catheterization/elimination routines requiring nursing care
– Complex seizure management (i.e. daily to weekly)
Children accessing the respite program cannot demonstrate behaviour which poses a risk to themselves and/or other children in care (i.e. aggression, self-injury, object throwing, etc.), or behaviour which requires significant support.
Children are assessed by our Clinical Team prior to admission into the program to ensure your child’s care needs can be appropriately met by our program. This assessment includes the level of staffing required to safely care for your child, equipment and facility needs, and care plan requirements.
Rates for Respite Care at The Darling Home for Kids
Overnight Stay $25/calendar day
Day Program $15/calendar day
Invoices are prepared after each respite stay. Respite invoices can be remitted directly from the organization that manages your enhanced respite funding (ErinoakKids, Halton Support Services, etc.), or families can pay the invoice directly through credit card or e-transfer. In order to access respite services, prior invoices must be paid in full.
Respite Application Process:
Step 1: Confirm base eligibility by answering the questions below, in order to access Respite Application Form
Step 2: Complete and submit application form and required documentation
Step 3: Application reviewed by The Darling Home for Kids within 45 days
Step 4: Intake appointment and tour of The Darling Home for Kids with your child (Intake days are held 4 times per year)
Step 5: Final confirmation from The Darling Home for Kids regarding program eligibility
Eligibility is reassessed regularly by The Darling Home for Kids (at a minimum of once per year) to ensure continued eligibility, allowing for children whose needs may change over time.
How to Apply
To apply to our Respite Program please fill out the eligibility form below. You must answer YES to all questions in order to access the Application Form. If you answer NO to any of the questions, this indicates your child does not currently meet our base eligibility criteria.
