RESPITE CARE INC
Embracing Extraordinary Kids and Their Families
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
More than 1,000 families in Larimer County are raising a child with a developmental disability. Families of children with disabilities struggle with food insecurity, housing instability, healthcare access issues, and finding the time to address their own needs and the needs of other family members. Respite Care provides Larimer County families who are raising children with developmental disabilities with affordable, quality, individualized care that meets each child’s unique needs and provides necessary respite for the family. This critical support helps families function better, enjoy life more fully, reduce stress, and raise their children with developmental disabilities at home.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Short-term Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Respite Care provides before and after school care, overnight and weekend care, Crisis and Emergency care and short term care. More than 150 families use our services each year.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Related Program
Short-term Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The number of children served in FY 2019-20 is 16% fewer than in FY 2018-19. This decrease was due to a 6-week closure during the COVID pandemic and enrollment limitations upon reopening.
Percentage of families whose stress levels are reduced as a results of using Respite Care.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Short-term Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Reducing family stress helps preserves the family unit, enabling families to continue raising their children with developmental disabilities at home rather than placing them elsewhere.
Percentage of families who are able to work toward or maintain self-sufficiency as a result of using Respite Care.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Caregivers, Families, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Short-term Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The physical, emotional, and social health of the family is enhanced when families are able to work toward or maintain self-sufficiency.
Percentage of families who believe their child receives quality care while at Respite Care.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Short-term Care for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Knowing their child is receiving quality care gives parents peace of mind, so they may focus on activities related to their family's quality of life.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Respite Care offers respite for parents, so they can have time to rest and refuel. But we also provide a place where kids with special needs can come and feel like they’re not alone. In fulfillment of our twofold mission to serve children with developmental disabilities and their families, we continually work toward achieving two primary goals: (1) Children and teens will develop physically and socially, will enjoy spending time at Respite Care, and will move toward greater independence. (2) Families will be strengthened and enabled to continue raising their child with special needs at home.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Provide professional, short-term, comprehensive care for children with developmental disabilities, from infancy to age 18.
2. Make care available 24/7 all year round. Allow parents to schedule care at the times that best meet their needs, including overnights, weekends, or for up to 14 consecutive days for when a family needs a longer break.
3. Provide children with 1-to-1 or 2.5-to-1 child-to staff care depending on their individual needs.
4. Ensure that our childcare specialists are appropriately trained in a multitude of areas related to providing effective, quality care for youth with developmental disabilities.
5. Staff members administer medications, prepare meals and snacks that meet each child’s special dietary requirements, toilet and bathe children, coordinate activities, maintain charts on each child, follow through on therapeutic activities designed to enhance the child’s development, and provide children with many opportunities to socialize, make friends, be creative, play, exercise, and participate in community outings.
6. Work closely with each family to develop effective care plans and schedules.
7. Offer a wide array of enhancement activities including music therapy, an annual teen prom, a 10-week summer day camp, a weeklong wilderness camp, ice cream socials, Respitalities (special afternoon or evening events for Respite Care children and their siblings), and more.
8. Design all activities to provide our youth with unique experiences, promote their development, and encourage them to move toward greater independence.
9. Provide age-specific programs for toddlers and preschoolers and school-age children.
10. Coordinate a Life Skills for Teens with Developmental Disabilities program that provides community integration experiences to help teens and young adults learn about self-care, money management, transportation, keeping themselves safe, appropriate socializing, exercise, good nutrition, food shopping and preparation, and other practical skills that will help them transition to group- or independent living when they turn 21.
11. Keep the cost of care affordable. While the actual cost to provide care is $24 an hour, families pay, on average, $4.50 per hour. Without this support, many children would receive costlier care in an institutional- or foster care setting. In-home care, when available, costs $25-$30/hour and does not provide the same kind of respite or socialization opportunities that children experience among friends, staff, and volunteers in Respite Care’s setting.
12. Ensure that services are available to all Larimer County families raising a child with a developmental disability.
13. Continue to make inclusivity, equity, diversity, and access key priorities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since 1981, Respite Care has been helping families in Larimer County who are raising children with physical, cognitive, and sensory developmental disabilities. In our home-style environment, we provide short-term care for children from birth to age 21 who have physical, mental and/or sensory disabilities such as brain injury, autism, Angelman’s Syndrome, cerebral palsy, seizure disorder, hydrocephalus, childhood disease, blindness, deafness, and speech disorders. Specially trained staff members work closely with each family to gain a clear understanding of the family’s and child’s needs. Staff undergo 18 different trainings including First Aid, CPR, Universal Precautions, Seizure Management, Medication Administration, People First Language, Sign Language Skills, Prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Head Trauma, Safe Sleep Practice, and Catheter Training and Sterile Procedures.
Respite Care is the only organization in Larimer County and is one of only two in Colorado that provide short-term care in a home-style setting for youths with developmental disabilities. In 2011, the City of Fort Collins Commission on Disability presented Respite Care with the Mayor’s Recognition Distinguished Service Provider Award. In 2016, Respite Care received a Northern Colorado Donor Engagement Award from the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and a Larimer County Community Service Award from Group Publishing.
Respite Care is licensed by the State of Colorado to serve up to 75 children during the day and 6 children overnight.
Our organization trains staff and volunteers in the use of People First Language, which puts a person before a diagnosis, describing what a person "has" rather than asserting what a person "is." People First Language is intended to avoid marginalization or dehumanization (either consciously or subconsciously) when discussing people with a chronic illness or disability. It can be seen as a type of disability etiquette, but person-first language can also be more generally applied to any group that would otherwise be defined or mentally categorized by a condition or trait (for example, race, age, or appearance). All key staff complete training in Diversity, Inclusion and Equity compliance.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In an anonymous written survey administered in fall 2020, families reported that:
• Using Respite Care allowed 81% of families served to work toward and/or maintain self-sufficiency.
• 94% of families strongly agreed or agreed that using Respite Care had decreased their stress level.
• 97% of families reported that Respite Care provides engaging activities for their child.
• 96% said that their child receives quality care at Respite Care.
• 96% of families indicated that their child's progress toward developmental milestones is encouraged/enhanced as a result of the care and opportunities he/she has at Respite Care.
• 100% of families are able to continue raising their child with special needs at home.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Many of our families have severe time constraints.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
RESPITE CARE INC
Board of directorsas of 06/17/2022
Mr. Larry Brazil
Riverside Technology, Inc.
Term: 2019 - 2022
Mr. Michael Bellus
Bank of Colorado
Term: 2022 - 2022
Valerie Embrey
Retired, University of Colorado
Lisa Stenzel
Loose Ends Legacy
Chrissy Caesar
Wildrock PR and Marketing
Valerie Embry
University of Colorado
Amy Hoback
The Group Real Estate
Clay Olson
Guided Wealth Strategies, LLC
Renee Ostergren
Poudre School District
Lisa Youngblade
Colorado State University
Michael Bellus
Bank of Colorado
Larry Brazil
Riverside Technology, Inc.
Martin Kelly
SSIG
Carrie Pelton
Broadcom
Michael Radcliff
FirstBank
Jamie Reisman
Volunteer
Paul Schnaitter
The Group Inc
Monica Witt
The Neenan Company
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/18/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.