Respite – A short break or rest from a specific situation

Kathy Pastoor, Respite Facilitator

The Community Living Parry Sound Respite Services Program employs a dedicated full time staff person to recruit and match families and ensure quality of services. The program provides Children and Adult Respite funding to families in need in addition to recruiting Respite Contractors to provide services that meet the needs of families.

Respite Contractors are self-employed individuals providing a service to families for a mutually determined hourly rate. Families connected to Community Living Parry Sound who are interested in receiving respite services go through an application and approval process before they are given an annual budget to use to pay a Respite Contractor to spend time with their family member doing activities and/or working on building specific skills. The family hires a contractor that they feel suits the needs of their family member and they determine what the contractor will do based on their family member’s individual strengths and needs. Hours are flexible and based on the availability of families and contractors. This can range from a few hours a week to full time, depending on how many contracts are taken on.

Contractors are offered training through a provincial website; respiteservices.com . This website also helps contractors to develop their profile and connect with potential families in a seamless way. Contractors are also required to complete a Criminal Reference Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Check, an Oath of Confidentiality, as well as have a medical exam and provide references. This ensures that people and families feel safe in addition to providing accountability and quality of services.

Community Living Parry Sound is currently recruiting Respite Contractors for families in need.

Having children is a life-long commitment and can be taxing on parents at the best of times. Imagine having a child with a physical or developmental disability; the demand on parents is significantly increased, making it a bit more difficult to cope with and potentially requiring parents to care for their children into adulthood. That is one of the reasons that respite services exist; to provide a break for families so that they can rest and feel better able to provide the support their family member needs. It also provides a break for their family member, introducing them to new experiences and new people.

Becoming a Respite Contractor is a unique way of giving back to your community. Contractors benefit from building relationships with families, creating and strengthening relationships in their communities, the joy of giving back and seeing people flourish and blossom; all of this in addition to receiving remuneration for their hard work and time. Contractors range in age from 18 to 65, and it is a great opportunity for young people who are interested in a career in social services or child care to build experience as well as a fantastic way for retirees and every age in between to contribute to the lives of others.

If you are interested in becoming a Respite Contractor please visit the respiteservices.com website and/or contact Kathy Pastoor at 705-746-9330 or kpastoor@clps.ca to begin the process.