Breathing Space - Respite Care
CONTACT INFORMATION
Lisa Long
office 541-343-2856
Email: lisa@afamilyforeverychild.org
Do you feel like you have something to give but are unsure how that would look for you and your family?
Would you be interested in sharing your unique gifts or talents with Oregon's foster children and their caregivers?
Breathing Space has a place for you! Breathing Space is a unique respite program through A Family for Every Child, allowing individuals in our community to volunteer. Our volunteers are the heart of reaching our children and lending support to the families caring for them long term.
Whether you are available to take a child for a weekend to give a break to the family, or attend ball games after school, there is a unique opportunity waiting for you to get involved!
Please contact us to share with us the ways you feel you could help.
Lisa Long
office 541-343-2856
Email: lisa@afamilyforeverychild.org
Breathing Space
1. Life Skills Partners
a. 1 year commitment-
b. Individuals with skills in specific areas who are interested in providing one on one instruction. This could be cooking, cleaning, automotive, self-care, volunteering in the community, gardening, animal care, painting, art projects.
c. All volunteer based. Background check and finger-printing (DHS)
d. Run and coordinated by a volunteer leader.
e. Any age child can participate.
f. Orientations-
a. 1 time a month hold a general orientation meeting for new individuals interested are given the opportunity to hear about what is already in place and offer new services. They can partner with the mentor program once they finish the orientation and be matched with children who are looking to learn these skills.
b. Every 3 months meet to check-in, offer ideas and support, expand if they would like to work with more children.
c. Once a month do a quick report check-in
Volunteer Drivers
1. Used for a variety of needs to help foster families.
a. Background check and finger prints (DMV/DHS)
b. Insurance
c. Available to drive children to: Dr appointments (with caseworker permission), after school activities, games, other appointments that the foster parents aren’t needed at.
d. Can be expanded to include the Driver to be involved more in depth with the activity that they are driving to.
e. Volunteer run
Drop-in Center
1. The drop in center is a once a week activity that is for older children to come in and have a place of respite.
2. Run by Heart Gallery volunteers
a. All volunteers cleared by AFFEC
3. Can be held at local community centers, Willamalane, NAAG
Fun-Time Coordinator
a. A self-sustaining program centered on developed activities that meet either weekly or monthly for the children. These can be crafts, movies, games nights, sport nights etc.
This group meets with the Life Skills Partner group and the Volunteers for Driving every three months to plan for the activities that each group will provide and to help get individuals involved in the appropriate group. Each group will need one main coordinator.
Respite Care
a. There are three groups of parents to meet the needs of the families and children. These groups would all meet together and are cleared through DHS
b. More skilled individuals
c. Provide training to the families in areas of weakness/lack of experience
1. General Orientation – as needed based on new provider interest. At the orientation use questionnaires to gain an understanding of the families strengths/weaknesses and what kind of care they are interested in being providers for.
2. Every 6 months mandatory meeting to check-in, discuss what is working and what’s not.
3. Use check-in and check-out lists
a. Forms for family to have an overview of child (needs, medications, likes/dislikes)
b. Rank behavior needs (1-5 scale) and rank families ability to care for children similarly to appropriately match children/families
Weekend Warriors
b. Individuals who don’t feel they are able to take on Monday-Friday care but would be available for planned weekend care to allow relief to families..
Time-out Parents
a. These are our respite parents who are available for a longer timeframe. These parents are open to taking children for one to two weeks at a time in order to provide a break for caregivers.
Emergency Parents
1. These individuals are short notice care givers.
a. They can be split into length of time availability groups ranging from a weekend to weeks, extending into months.
