FAQ for Families

What is respite care?

Planned or emergency support to provide family/primary caregivers with a short break from the excep­tional demands of caring for individuals with complex needs across the lifespan.

What can this program offer my family?

This program offers families of children, adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities weekly respite care during the fall and spring academic semesters. Undergraduate students will come in pairs and stay between 2-2.5 hours.

Who is eligible to participate?

We define intellectual and developmental disability very broadly. If you feel you would benefit from respite care as a caregiver, you are encouraged to reach out. When pairing students with families, scheduling most often dictates who is enrolled in the program in a given semester. When demand outweighs our capacity, we try to prioritize families with the greatest need for respite (e.g., no access to other in-home supports, limited financial resources for out-of-pocket respite care, family structure, etc.).

All participating families are required to complete criminal background checks in advance of student placement. In addition, UMass faculty will complete a home visit.

Where will the visits take place?

The weekly visits typically occur at your home, and we are open to discussing alternative community locations.

Who are the students?

Students participating in this program are most often enrolled in the Developmental Disabilities and Human Services program. These students come from 16+ different majors, with a shared interest in working with people with disabilities in their future careers as teachers, social workers, doctors, and therapists among other professions. Other students in this program are typically pursuing degrees in psychology, education, or related fields.

While many students may have taken other courses relating to disability or human services, you should not expect that the students have specialized training in particular approaches to supporting people with disabilities (e.g., special education, applied behavior analysis).

When will the students come?

We do not have a fixed schedule during the week but work with families individually to match need with student availability. Most visits take place after school or on weekends, but weekday daytime visits are also possible. You can let us know when you are available by completing this form.