Spring Into Respite

by Patrick Dierschke

Spring is a time of renewal, appreciating nature in bloom, and evaluating the progress of your new year’s resolutions. Did you clean out that closet, exercise more, or learn a new language?

I would like to plant a seed in your heart about becoming a respite provider for the San Angelo CPS Foster and Kinship Care program.

Respite providers give foster and kinship parents time to recharge or attend to emergencies that require them to step away from parenting for a few days.

If you have some spare room and willing to fulfill a few requirements, then you would be building capacity for keeping our children here in the Concho Valley, and encouraging local foster and kinship families to continue in this critical mission field.

The requirements to be a respite provider:

• Criminal history statement for all household members age 14 and older

• FBI fingerprint check for applicants and household members age 14 and older

• DPS criminal history for applicants and household members age 14 and older

• FPS abuse/neglect history (Texas) for applicants and household members age 10 and older

• CPR training and First Aid training for all caregivers

• Understanding of discipline policy

• Understanding of confidentiality policy

• TB test within one year for applicants and all household members age 1 and older

• Training – 8 hours of behavior intervention and discipline (could be held at your place of business if you have several employees interested)

• Walk-through of the home for safety, health and fire safety issues

Make a spring resolution to learn more about fostering and supporting kinship families.

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