It’s important for caregivers to have breaks from caregiving. There are several ways you can take breaks from caregiving.

Whenever you need someone else to care for the child or youth for more than 72 hours, or on a regular basis, you must let the caseworker know.

The caseworker or licensing worker can explain all the available options for getting temporary care for the child or youth.

When you want someone to come into your home to watch the child or youth

For occasional, temporary care for less than 72 hours

You can have someone you trust (like your partner, a relative, a friend, a roommate, or a babysitter) care for the child. You do not need to let the caseworker know.

If this person needs to be paid, you’ll need to pay them yourself.

For temporary care for more than 72 hours, or on a regular basis (respite care)

You can either:

• Choose someone you trust (like your partner, a relative, a friend, a roommate, or a babysitter). Tell the caseworker you want this person to temporarily care for the child or youth. This also applies if you want your partner to care for the child or youth, and they are not on your kinship caregiver license.
  • If you do not need DCYF to pay them, we’ll run a background check on this person using their date of birth.
  • If you need DCYF to pay them a small stipend, they’ll need to complete a certification process, which includes background checks, and an application. This process is shorter than the home study process for kinship caregivers.
• Ask DCYF to identify a “certified respite provider" to come to your home and care for the child or youth. There’s no guarantee that DCYF will be able to find someone.

When you want the child or youth to go to someone who will watch them outside of your home

For occasional, temporary care for less than 72 hours

You can have someone you trust (like your partner, a relative, a friend, a roommate, or a babysitter) care for the child. You do not need to let the caseworker know.

If this person needs to be paid, you’ll need to pay them yourself.

Or if you need child care for less than 24 hours, you can send the child to a licensed child care facility.

Find a licensed child care facility.

For temporary care for more than 72 hours, or on a regular basis (respite care)

The child or youth can temporarily stay at one of these places:

• A licensed foster home
• The home of a kinship caregiver who is licensed to care for other children or youth (for example, a friend who is a licensed kinship caregiver). Ask DCYF to add your kinship child or youth to another kinship caregiver’s license. Then, your kinship child or youth can temporarily stay with the other caregiver when you need a break.) If you are not sure whether someone you know is a licensed kinship caregiver, ask the caseworker.
• The home of another relative or family friend of the child or youth (this includes your partner if they are not on your kinship caregiver license). Tell the caseworker you want this person to temporarily care for the child or youth.
  • If you do not need DCYF to pay them, we'll run a background check on the person using their birth date.
  • If you need DCYF to pay the person a small stipend, the person will need to complete a certification process. This includes an application, and background checks on the person and their household members. We’ll also complete a walkthrough of their home to check for safety hazards. This process is shorter than the home study process for kinship caregivers.