Respite care allows for children and youth in foster care to be cared for on a short-term basis by another caregiver who is trained and pre-approved. The current process for obtaining respite care in California is largely driven by caregivers’ needs and often does not sufficiently address the needs and wants of the youth who experience respite care. Moreover, due to the flexibility afforded to counties by the State, respite care services vary widely across counties and many counties do not offer paid respite care to caregivers.

In this report, we review existing research on respite care, share input from youth currently or formerly in foster care and caregivers, and highlight several county respite programs. We also provide recommendations informed by the perspectives of youth and caregivers to help improve and expand respite care services. Finally, we share creative ways that youth and caregivers have suggested to reimagine the respite care system to make it a better resource for youth and resource families.