FIREFLY’s Respite programs provide funding to parents/caregivers to allow families to contract someone outside of your immediate family to provide temporary support/care for your child or youth. This allows parents/caregivers to take a much-needed break from the high level of support you provide to your child or youth with a severe disability.
Respite can take place in your own home, at a respite worker’s home, or at social and recreational activities in your community.
Families contract their own respite workers and pay them directly. Families submit completed time sheets and invoices to FIREFLY, and FIREFLY reimburses the family.
To be considered for In Home or Out of Home Respite funding, your child must be under the age of 18 yrs, live at home with their family/caregivers in the Kenora or Rainy River Districts and be diagnosed with a developmental, intellectual, and/or significant physical disability or severe, chronic medical condition
Your child’s high needs must impact their functioning in multiple activities of daily living at home, school and in the community. Additionally, these Respite programs support those families with the “highest needs” – ie. the family would be at potential risk of breakdown without respite.
Seeking respite can help you relieve stress, restore your energy, and promote balance in your life. Respite can also benefit the child you are caring for, by allowing them to attend fun community events, recreational and artistic activities and spend time with other kids their own age.
For children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the ASD Respite program provides a small amount of funding every 3 months to enable the child’s family to purchase a few hours of respite relief. Respite can take place in the child’s home, at the respite worker’s home, or in the community. Children receiving ASD Respite funding must be under the age of 18 yrs and live at home with their family/caregivers in the Kenora or Rainy River Districts.
The number of hours of Respite a family receives depends on their needs, the availability of respite through other services, and the amount of funding available for this service.
Some families prefer to have a set number of hours each week while others prefer to use weekends or overnight respite. Within each 3-month funding period, families are free to schedule their respite in a manner that works best for their needs.
The parent contracts the respite worker. The family chooses a worker and trains the individual to meet the specific needs of their family member. Respite workers and parent/caregivers collaborate to determine what respite hours will be scheduled to support the family. The family/caregiver pays the respite workers directly.
On a quarterly basis, FIREFLY informs the family regarding the amount of respite funding they have available to them. The parent is reimbursed for these hours based on invoices and time sheets submitted to FIREFLY.
To request a referral for any FIREFLY Respite program, speak to your FIREFLY clinician or contact FIREFLY Centralized Intake.
820A Lakeview Drive
Kenora, Ontario
P9N 3P7
