Looking For A Respite Care Provider

Through Washington State’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), families like ours are given a set number of respite hours to help relieve the ongoing demands of caregiving. Unfortunately, due to a widespread shortage of trained providers, these hours often go unused. That has certainly been the case for our family. Even though I'm active in online networks for families of children with disabilities in the Olympia area, I’ve never found any personal recommendations for respite care providers. Posts asking for help are common—but the responses are often limited to frustration about the shortage or distrust in unfamiliar caregivers.

For those of you who know our son Logan, you know he’s a sweet and funny 5-year-old who loves spending time with adults outside of our family. (Humor is his love language!) He has limited verbal speech due to a condition called childhood apraxia of speech, but he understands everything that’s said to him and uses an iPad-based communication device when he needs help expressing himself.

We’re hoping that someone from our FUMCO community—or someone personally recommended by a member—might be interested in becoming a trained respite care provider for Logan. The training is paid, and providers are employed through Consumer Direct of Washington (CDWA), which sets pay rates in accordance with the SEIU 775 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The starting hourly rate is currently $21.44, with higher rates available based on experience.
If this opportunity interests you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly (Alissahalemuller@gmail.com)—or contact Brittney for more information. We’d be so grateful for your help in finding someone caring and trustworthy for our son.