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PLANNED RESPITE CARE: HOPE FOR FAMILIES UNDER PRESSURE
Author(s) -
O'Brien Jon
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.2001.tb01313.x
Subject(s) - respite care , project commissioning , service (business) , welfare , nursing , social work , publishing , psychology , social welfare , medicine , business , economic growth , political science , economics , marketing , law
Respite care — having breaks from the constant demands of parenting — has long been recognised as a crucial service for families of a child with a disability Only more recently has it been considered equally beneficial for families at risk of abusing or neglecting their children. A growing body of research demonstrates the negative impact of social and economic stress on people's capacity to raise their children effectively. The experiences of welfare workers indicate that planned respite care can be an important means of reducing stress and lessening the likelihood of child maltreatment and the possibility of children's removal to long‐term care. A case is outlined for a much more substantial investment in planned respite care as part of an integrated range of family support services.