Community Connections: May 2003 Newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator -- May 2003

In this Issue:

The theme of this month's issue is Respite Care.

	Tip Sheet: Finding Childcare Providers for Special Needs Children
	Article: Respite Care: A Gift of Time
	Check out this article for a general overview of respite care and information on how to find and obtain respite care services.
	Spotlights of the Month:
	The Arc Respite Home
	Provides a home away from home atmosphere for children and adults with disabilities.
	Caring Communities, Inc.
	Provides training programs for adults interested in helping to provide respite care for families of children with disabilities.
	Maryland Respite Coalition
	A volunteer organization, which provides information on respite care in the state of Maryland.
	The Resource Network
	Sponsoring a workshop entitled Help is on the Way!! - A Respite Care Resource Workshop for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Developmental Disabilities
	Recommended Websites:
	Children with Special Health Care Needs and Respite Care Guide
	http://bhca.org - Go into the Children with Special Health Care Needs menu, scroll down to the Children with Special Health Care Needs and Respite Care Guide to download the free guide.
	Family Networks
	http://www.family-networks.org - Go into the Resources menu, scroll down to the Respite section to view an array of information on local, state and national organizations and funding sources for respite care
	Resources for Families with Children with Disabilities
	http://www.howard-autism.org/resourceMD.pdf

Finding Childcare Providers for Special Needs Children

What is respite care? Respite care helps to prevent stress and burnout by providing caregivers of children with disabilities breaks from their regular schedules. In other words, respite care provides caregivers the time to rest, rejuvenate and take care of themselves. Respite care is also very beneficial to children with special needs because it allows them the chance to bond with other individuals and family members, become more independent and participate in social outings; as do typically developing children. This tip sheet provides information on finding people who will be able to assist you in taking care of your child who has special needs. The tips are provided for care based on occasional, seasonal, year-round and short-term needs. Read the full tip sheet.

Respite Care: A Gift of Time

What is respite care? Can your family benefit from respite care? This article, presented by the National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities provides information on respite care, how to find providers, and the benefits of respite care. This article also provides respite care suggestions for parents as well as information on what you should know when you seek respite care services in your community. Read the full text of the article.

Spotlights of the Month!

The Arc Respite Home
10500 Riverview Road, Ft. Washington, Maryland 20744
Phone: 301-292-5856 Reservations: 301-925-7050 ext. 245
Website: www.thearcofpg.org

The Arc of Prince George's County Respite Home provides a home away from home atmosphere for children and adults with disabilities. The Arc Respite Home ensures that their staff has a complete background check in addition to CPR and First Aid training. This home provides amenities such as entertainment, outside play areas, home-cooked meals and comfortable beds. Fees for respite care services are determined based upon a sliding scale that considers that family's income. Usually there is no charge or a reduced fee. For further information regarding the respite care services provided at The Arc Respite Home, please contact them at 301-925-7050 ext. 245.

Caring Communities, Inc.
1015 Gleneagle Court, Eldersburg, Maryland 21784
Phone: 1-866-CARING4 or (410) 549-5707
Contact: Mona Freedman, RN, Executive Director

Caring Communities Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is dedicated to "increasing opportunities for families of children who have disabilities to receive quality respite care, or breaks, from the sometimes overwhelming challenges of raising their child."

Caring Communities provides training programs for adults interested in helping to provide respite care for families of children with disabilities. Such trainings include:

	Role & Responsibility of the Provider
	Disability Awareness and Information
	Communication Issues
	Behavior Management
	Assistive/Adaptive Equipment

They also have a registry of respite care providers in Maryland available. For more information please contact Caring Communities at 1-866-CARING4.

Maryland Respite Coalition
The Maryland Respite Coalition is a volunteer organization, which provides information on respite care in the state of Maryland. For further information, please contact them at (410) 767-7323.

The Resource Network
707 N. Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
Phone: 1-800-390-3372
Contact: Bernice Grant
Email: info@resourcenetworkatkki.org
Website: http://www.resourcenetworkatkki.org

The Resource Network is a project of Kennedy Krieger Institute and is sponsoring a workshop entitled "Help is on the Way!! - A Respite Care Resource Workshop for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs and Developmental Disabilities." This workshop is ideal for parents, guardians and caregivers of children with special needs. In addition extended family members, health care providers and education staff are invited. Topics for the workshop include:

- An Overview of Maryland Funding for Respite Care
- What you need to know to use Respite
- A Parent Panel Discussion on Experiences Using Respite Care

The Southern Region Workshop will be held on June 4, 2003 from 10:00 am - 12:30 pm at the Calvert County Library Fairview Branch located at Route 4 Chaneyille Road in Owings, Maryland. The workshop is free however registration is required. Refreshments will be provided. For further information about this workshop, upcoming workshops in eastern and western Maryland, and services provided by The Resource Network, please contact Bernice Grant at 1-800-390-3372.

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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Helping to Facilitate the Participation of Children with Disabilities in Community Settings

The Community Connections Communicator -- May 2003

In this Issue:

Finding Childcare Providers for Special Needs Children

Respite Care: A Gift of Time

Spotlights of the Month!