Respite care is a service offered to families to provide additional support, friendship and care for disabled children. It is often known as "short breaks".

Respite care involves a planned series of short-term care placements. It aims to provide:

New friends for the child

• Extra social opportunities for the child
• Learning opportunities for the child
• A break for the parents and child
• Time for parents to spend with other children in the family.

The scheme brings together families of disabled children with either short break foster carers or small residential units. Care is provided for the child at set times, this could be:

• Day care
• Overnight stays
• Weekend stays (often once a month)
• Occasional longer stays
• Befriending

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