Short break care for disabled children
Short break carers provide opportunities for disabled children and young people to have regular short stays away from their families.
This allows disabled children to develop experiences and social contacts beyond their own home, while giving their parents/carers time to re-charge their batteries and spend time with the other children in the family.
Short break care can also be known as respite care. Find out why we use the term 'short break care' rather then 'respite care'.
Become a short break carer with Barnardo's
Alternatively you can:
- use our information request form to request an information pack from your local service
- find out more about the different types of short break care we provide.
- read comments from other short break carers.
- find answers to frequently asked questions about short break care for disabled children including information about allowances and what's required
- find out why we use the term 'short break care' rather then 'respite care'.
Who can provide short break care for disabled children?
Short break carers are local individuals or families who are available to look after disabled children and young people at weekends, midweek or for short holidays.
Working closely with birth families, short break carers receive extensive training and support from their local Barnardo’s service.
Our Befrienders and Support/Link workers enable children and young people to become involved in community based leisure activities. This encourages them to make friends, participate in their community and to have the same choices and opportunities as other young people.
Find out more about the different types of short break care we provide.
Approval process for short break care
Barnardo's recognises that your decision to foster or offer support care will be one of the most important in your life. We encourage you to contact us for an informal chat to help you decide.
The process to become a support carer will entail police and local authority checks, references and meetings with a worker from your local service.
Training is also very important in preparation for this role and your training programme will be agreed with the local service.
We recognise your interest in this area of care may be related to the time you have available. Therefore Barnardo’s staff at your local service will be happy to discuss with you which area of support care will suit you best.
Could you provide overnight or weekend care for a disabled child?
Discover what it’s like to be a short break carer by watching this video about Kapila, Lalani and Olivia.
Comments about short break care from disabled children
At Barnardo’s we believe that disabled children have a right to be fully included in everyday society with full access to all social, educational and leisure facilities and services.
Read comments from children who receive Barnardo's short break care and other short break carers.
