Night of Respite
Offers a special place for all children serviced in the program to come to once a month. It is also to give the parents and caregivers an opportunity to have one night a month to themselves. We offer the parents to bring all the children, special needs and the siblings, to a dedicated location where there are trained and qualified providers along with the agency director to watch the children for 3 hours on the 3rd Friday night of each month. During this time we work with the children and play self-esteem building games and crafts. We also allow the children with attachment disorder to play independently without having the responsibility of caring for the special needs child. We also work with the special needs children in becoming more independent and work with them so that they do not rely on the other siblings. This allows them to play and interact like other family units with out special needs.
Sib's Camp
Often siblings feel isolated and in the shadow of their brothers and sisters who have special needs. Sib's Camp is designed to give siblings of children with special needs something just for them. The monthly camp offers them an opportunity to learn life skills, self-motivation and self-empowerment. It also provides times for crafts, games, independent expression as well as group activities. The campers enjoy the opportunity to identify with peers, who also have a brother or sister with a disability, in a non-threatening way. This program helps these children to become positive and productive community members and helps them to over come any special needs or obstacle in their lives.
Respite Registry
Respite care is the most requested service from primary caregivers and the most difficult to access. Funding is usually so inadequate that families have to wait as long as 4 years to receive financial assistance to pay for the service. Families are also challenged to find qualified Respite Providers to deliver the direct care needed. We actively recruit individuals to provide respite care. Each respite provider who joins the registry receives an orientation and the opportunity for continued professional technical assistance and support. Contact information for respite providers on our registry is available to caregivers.
Reye Jean Timmer Memorial Fund
The Reye Jean Timmer Memorial Fund was established on March 8, 2006 in honor of Cofounder, Ed Timmer. Reye Jean was Ed's wife of many years and supported Ed unequivocally as he dedicated countless hours to the mission of Family Respite Care Services. Contributions to the Reye Jean Timmer Memorial Fund will help families with expenses related to caring for their child with special needs that cannot be covered by any other funding source. For a list of expenses the Reye Jean Timmer Memorial Fund would support, please call our office. Keep in mind that the list is not inclusive of all allowable expenses. To contribute to the Reye Jean Timmer Memorial Fund, please mail your contribution to our office along with with the contribution form.