The Lifespan Respite Care Program was authorized by Congress in 2006 under Title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 201). 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.
Lifespan Respite Care programs work to improve the delivery and quality of respite services available through the following objectives:
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Expand and enhance respite services in the states;
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Improve coordination and dissemination of respite services;
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Streamline access to programs;
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Fill gaps in service where necessary; and
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Improve the overall quality of the respite services currently available.
Since 2009, Congress has appropriated approximately $2.5 million per year to implement Lifespan Respite Programs. As of 2017, competitive grants of up to $200,000 each were awarded to eligible agencies in 37 states and the District of Columbia.
Eligible agencies are those administering the state’s program under the Older Americans Act of 1965 or Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid), or those designated by a Governor to administer the state’s program under this title. The eligible state agency must be an Aging and Disability Resource Center and work in collaboration with a public or private nonprofit statewide respite care coalition or organization.
With these initial three-year grants, states have developed or built upon respite infrastructures through a variety of approaches designed to enhance or improve access to and receipt of respite services. Grantee activities include:
- Environmental scanning to understand available respite programs and family caregiver needs;
- Marketing and outreach campaigns to 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;
- Developing or enhancing statewide databases of respite care programs, services, and information to improve access for family caregivers; and
- Developing and implementing person-centered respite service options, such as vouchers.
ACL has since funded states to build upon and expand the efforts started during their previous three years of work. Grantees are focusing on more fully integrating Lifespan Respite Care Programs into state systems of long-term services and supports. The new grants require states to provide gap-filling respite services to family caregivers, and to work with ACL to develop program performance and outcome measures.
Lifespan Respite Care Program Grantees
- 2017 Grantees
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New State Grants
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
Advancing States Lifespan Respite System Grants
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Washington
- 2016 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Maryland
- Mississippi
Expansion Grants
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Washington
- 2015 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Florida
- 2014 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Arkansas
Integration and Sustainability Grants
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New York
- North Carolina
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- 2013 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Idaho
Integration and Sustainability Grants
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Massachusetts
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- 2012 Grantees
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New State Grant
- Iowa
Expansion Grants
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
Integration and Sustainability Grants
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- 2011 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Montana
- New Jersey
- Ohio
- Virginia
Expansion Grants
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- North Carolina
- Nevada
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- 2010 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Delaware
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- 2009 Grantees
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New State Grants
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
Technical Assistance
Technical assistance (TA) is a key component of effective program development. Since implementation began in 2009, ACL has funded the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center to provide TA to the Lifespan Respite Program grantees and the field.
ARCH’s current TA 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. For more information, visit the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center.
Lifespan Respite Care Program—Reauthorization
The Lifespan Respite Care Act is due to be reauthorized. From January 6 through March 31, 2011, AoA solicited input regarding the reauthorization from interested individuals and organizations. Find a summary of the input that was received (PDF, 13KB).