Many parents using crisis nursery programs need additional support. In addition, the volunteer can increase the parent's capacity to parent their child by providing parenting information, education, and support while in the home. Many respite care programs use volunteers to provide the actual respite care to children. Due to the increased medical needs of many children, and the severity of their disabilities, many respite care programs are now needing more highly-trained individuals to provide the respite care. With appropriate training and supervision, a volunteer may do some of this work.
Volunteers can also provide support to the parents of the child with a disability.
Volunteers who are parents and who have learned to manage the care of children with disabilities are valuable resources to new parents of a child with a disability. Parent volunteers can be used to co-facilitate support and education groups for other parents. Volunteers can be used to staff the crisis nursery 24-hour help line. Respite care and crisis nursery programs can use volunteers to assist families in crisis by providing phone or in-home support. The goal of the volunteer crisis interventionist is to provide support and encouragement to the parent, to help them through the crisis situation and link them with appropriate community resources.