0BACKGROUND

What is respite? 

Respite is a key component of family support 

and home and community-based long-term 

services and supports. Respite services 

strengthen family systems while protecting the 

health and well-being of both caregivers and 

care recipients. The Lifespan Respite Care Act 

of 2006 defines respite care as “planned or 

emergency care provided to a child or adult 

with a special need in order to provide 

temporary relief to the family caregiver of that 

child or adult.” Respite services may be 

provided in a variety of settings, including the 

home, adult day care centers, or residential care 

facilities.

2BTHE LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE PROGRAM: 

HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

State legislated Lifespan Respite Programs have 

been in existence since 1997 when Oregon 

became the first state to create such a program. 

Since that time, other states have developed 

Lifespan Respite Programs reflecting the unique 

and diverse needs of their caregivers and care 

recipients. Despite the varied approaches to 

designing and administering these early 

Lifespan Respite Care Programs, the unifying 

characteristic of each is a coordinated approach 

to ensuring respite services are available to all 

who need them. 

WHAT ARE LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE 

PROGRAMS?

Lifespan Respite Care programs are 

coordinated systems of accessible, 

community-based respite care services for 

family caregivers of children and adults of all 

ages with special needs. Such programs reduce 

duplication of effort and assist in the 

development of respite care infrastructures at 

the state and local levels. Once implemented, 

Lifespan Respite Care programs improve the 

delivery and quality of respite services available 

to families across age and disability spectrums 

by establishing coordinated lifespan respite 

systems.

Lifespan Respite Care Programs advance the 

following objectives: 

1. Expand and enhance respite services in 

the states; 

2. Improve coordination and dissemination 

of respite services;

3. Streamline access to programs; 

4. Fill gaps in service where necessary; 

and 

5. Improve the overall quality of the 

respite services currently available.

LIFESPAN RESPITE CARE PROGRAM 

IMPLEMENTATION

Since 2009, Congress has appropriated 

approximately $2.35 million per year to 

implement Lifespan Respite Programs. As of 

2014, initial grants of up to $200,000 each have 

been awarded to eligible agencies in thirty-three 

states and the District of Columbia. Eligible 

state agencies are those that administer the 

State’s program under the Older Americans Act 

of 1965; the State’s program under title XIX of 

the Social Security Act (Medicaid); or are 

designated by the Governor to administer the 

State’s program under this title. The eligible 

state agency must work in collaboration with 

the Aging and Disability Resource Center and a 

The Lifespan Respite Care Program
public or private non-profit statewide respite 

care coalition or organization. With their initial

three-year grants, states developed or enhanced 

respite infrastructures through a variety of 

approaches designed to improve access to and 

receipt of respite services. Examples of grantee 

activities and accomplishments include: 

• Environmental scans to better understand 

available respite programs and family 

caregiver needs; 

• Marketing and outreach campaigns to better 

educate family caregivers about respite and 

how to access services; 

• Training of volunteer and paid respite 

providers to increase the availability of 

respite services; 

• Partnering with communities of faith to 

develop respite programs; 

• Mini-grant programs to foster development 

of local respite options and resources; 

• Developing or enhancing statewide 

databases of respite care programs, services 

and information to improve access for 

family caregivers; and 

• The development and implementation of 

person centered respite service options such 

as vouchers. 

Many of the states have gone on to receive 

additional grant funding to build upon and 

expand the efforts begun during their initial 

three years of work. Grantees are focusing on 

more fully integrating Lifespan Respite Care 

Programs into the state’s systems of long-term 

services and supports. These grants require 

states to provide gap-filling respite services to 

family caregivers and to work with ACL to 

develop program performance and outcome 

measures. 

In its implementation of the program, the 

Administration for Community Living (ACL) 

has worked closely with representatives from 

across the age and disability spectrum to ensure 

that Lifespan Respite Care Programs meet the

respite needs of caregivers of children and 

adults of all ages with special needs.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Technical assistance is a key component of 

effective program development. Since 2009, 

ACL has funded the ARCH National Respite 

Network and Resource Center to provide 

technical assistance to the Lifespan Respite 

Program grantees and the field.

ARCH’s current technical assistance activities 

focus on assisting states in the development of 

sustainable, integrated and high-quality respite 

programs across the lifespan; supporting the 

development of a framework to measure 

program performance and outcomes; and 

collecting, synthesizing, disseminating and 

stimulating research in the field of respite and 

family caregiver support. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional information about the Lifespan 

Respite Care Program, including specific details 

about each of the grantees, please visit the AoA 

web site at: 

http://www.acl.gov/Programs/CDAP/OIP/Lifes

panRespite/index.aspx 

ARCH National Respite Network: 

http://chtop.org/ARCH/Lifespan-T/TA.html 

For more information about ACL 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 

Administration for Community Living 

Washington DC 20201 

Phone: (202) 619 – 0724

Fax: (202) 357 – 3555 

Email: ACLinfo@acl.hhs.gov

Web: http://www.ACL.gov