Getting respite care for your child starts with identifying which programs you qualify for, since most families have at least one option available, whether through Medicaid, state-funded voucher programs, nonprofits, or private pay. The path you take depends on your child’s diagnosis, your household income, and where you live. Here’s how to navigate each route and what to expect along the way.
What Respite Care Looks Like for Families
Respite care is temporary caregiving that gives you a break, ranging from a few hours a week to overnight or multi-day stays. For children, it typically happens in one of three settings: a trained caregiver comes to your home, your child attends a specialized day program, or your child stays temporarily in a licensed facility or host family’s home. The type you need depends on your child’s level of care. A child who needs help with feeding, mobility, or medical tasks will require a skilled provider, while a child with behavioral or developmental needs may do well with a trained but non-medical caregiver.
Medicaid Waiver Programs
The most common publicly funded route is through Medicaid’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, sometimes called 1915(c) waivers. These programs are designed to keep children out of institutional settings by funding services like respite care at home or in the community. Every state runs its own waiver programs, so the names, benefits, and wait times differ significantly.
To qualify, your child needs to meet two thresholds. First, a clinical one: your child must require a level of care that would otherwise qualify them for placement in an institutional setting, such as a hospital or long-term care facility. Second, a financial one, though this is more flexible than standard Medicaid. States can disregard parental income and resources when determining eligibility for waiver services, meaning some families who earn too much for regular Medicaid still qualify.
States can further target their waivers by diagnosis. Many have specific waivers for children with autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, or intellectual disabilities. To find your state’s waiver programs, search for “[your state] HCBS waiver” or contact your state Medicaid office directly and ask which waivers cover pediatric respite care.
One important consideration: annual caps on respite hours vary enormously. According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, annual caps for children range from as few as 7 days in Florida to as many as 180 days in Minnesota. Some states set no numeric cap at all, instead basing hours on an individualized assessment of your family’s needs. Ask about the cap before you apply so you can plan accordingly. Many waiver programs also have waiting lists that can stretch months or even years, so apply as early as possible.
State Lifespan Respite Programs
The federal Lifespan Respite Care Program funds state-level systems that help family caregivers of children and adults with any disability or chronic condition. Congress appropriated $10 million for this program in fiscal year 2025. States use these grants differently. Some offer respite vouchers directly to families, others fund workforce training to expand the number of available providers, and some do both.
These programs are particularly useful if your child doesn’t fit neatly into a Medicaid waiver category, or if you’re on a waiting list and need something in the meantime. The vouchers typically cover a set number of hours with a provider you choose. To find out whether your state has an active Lifespan Respite program, contact your state’s Aging and Disability Resource Center or search the ARCH National Respite Network website.
How to Find a Provider
The ARCH National Respite Network maintains the National Respite Locator Service, a searchable database of home care agencies, community-based organizations, and other providers listed by state. Your first step should be contacting your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite Care Program if one exists, because they’ll have the most current and locally relevant information about both providers and funding options.
If those resources don’t turn up what you need, the ARCH locator is your next step. One critical note: the locator does not vet the providers it lists. It does not check backgrounds, references, or qualifications. You are responsible for reviewing credentials and running background checks on any individual or agency you hire. Ask providers directly about their training with your child’s specific needs, their licensing status, and whether they carry liability insurance.
Respite Care for Military Families
If you’re an active-duty service member or military spouse, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provides respite care at no cost. A 2021 law standardized EFMP across all branches, though the specifics of implementation still vary somewhat by service.
In the Navy’s current model, families receive either 20 or 32 hours of respite care per month depending on their family member’s assessed level of need. Those hours are allocated per family, not per child, so a family with two enrolled children still receives the same monthly allotment. Contact your installation’s EFMP office to begin the enrollment and assessment process.
What It Costs if You Pay Out of Pocket
When public programs aren’t available or don’t cover enough hours, private-pay respite fills the gap. The national median rate for a non-medical caregiver is $35 per hour as of 2025. If your child requires skilled nursing care at home, that median jumps to $90 per hour. Rates vary considerably by region, with urban areas and states with higher costs of living running well above those medians.
Some families blend funding sources to stretch their coverage. For example, you might use Medicaid waiver hours for most of the month and pay privately for an occasional weekend. Nonprofits like Easterseals, The Arc, and local disability-specific organizations sometimes offer sliding-scale or donated respite hours, particularly for families who fall through the gaps of public programs. Faith-based organizations in your community may run volunteer respite programs as well.
Emergency and Crisis Respite
If you need immediate help due to a family emergency, hospitalization, or caregiver burnout, crisis respite services exist in many states. Crisis nurseries provide short-term residential care for young children, typically for 24 to 72 hours, when a family is in acute distress. These are often free and don’t require advance enrollment in a program.
To find crisis respite quickly, call 211 (the national community services hotline), your State Respite Coalition, or your local department of social services. Some Lifespan Respite programs specifically allocate funding for emergency situations. If your child has an active case manager through Medicaid, a school IEP, or a developmental disabilities office, that person can also help arrange emergency coverage faster than starting from scratch.
Steps to Get Started
- Gather your child’s documentation. You’ll need medical records, diagnoses, and any existing care plans. Programs want to understand your child’s daily needs and level of care.
- Contact your state Medicaid office. Ask specifically about HCBS waivers that cover pediatric respite. Get on waiting lists immediately, even if the wait is long.
- Reach out to your State Respite Coalition. They can tell you about voucher programs, local providers, and funding you might not find on your own.
- Use the ARCH National Respite Locator. Search by your zip code to identify agencies and providers near you, then vet them independently.
- Ask your child’s care team. Pediatricians, therapists, and school special education coordinators often know about local respite resources that don’t show up in national databases.
- Check nonprofit and community organizations. Local chapters of disability-focused organizations frequently maintain their own respite provider lists or offer direct services.
The application process for publicly funded respite typically involves an intake assessment where a case worker evaluates your child’s care needs and your family’s situation. This assessment determines both eligibility and how many hours you receive. Be thorough and honest about the daily demands of caregiving, because the hours you’re granted are based directly on that conversation.