Children & Youth
Children’s Respite and Family Support Services
St.Amant offers overnight, out-of-home respite to families caring for children with developmental disabilities or autism with behavioral support needs. This is a residential respite service, which means support is offered to the child within a 24-hour staffed home.
Overview
St.Amant’s Children’s Respite and Family Services focuses on supporting families successfully continue to parent their child with a disability at home. This program serves children from 10 to 17 years old with behavioural support needs.
We currently have a respite home for children located in St.Vital, in Winnipeg, and one in Brandon, Manitoba. Both respite homes offer 24-hour service.
This program provides families with relief from extensive caregiving, which assists with the general well-being of caregivers to continue providing care to their loved ones.
Receiving support through this program includes having access to a team of interdisciplinary clinicians to help support families to develop more skills and positive coping and caregiving strategies.
Both respite homes have 24-hour rotating staff with a high staffing ratio that reflects the support needs of the children utilizing our service.
The program supports children with behavioral support needs. Children with high medical needs can access respite through other programs offered by St.Amant.
Who Qualifies?
Children who are eligible for and receiving services from Children’s DisAbility Services.
With a referral from:
- Community Service Worker on behalf of families through
Children’s DisAbility Services determines the amount of respite a family may be eligible for and St.Amant, as the service provider, ensures that respite nights do not exceed the amount approved per family. The referral for respite is reviewed and assessed for prioritization by our intake committee. Respite is scheduled by the program’s Social worker based on eligible nights, availability, and compatibility of children.
There is currently a waitlist in both Winnipeg and Brandon.
FAQs
Are visitors allowed during a respite stay?
Yes, families may contact the home and visit the home, as planned with the coordinator.
Can I access this service on an emergency basis?
No, this service is not available on an emergency basis.
What types of activities and recreation are offered?
Activities are planned with the child and reflect their unique interests. The team endeavors to engage children in a variety of in-home and community activities and events with “fun” being the main objective!
Can my family member be transported to and from school, work, or day program while receiving respite?
Yes, we work with families and schools to determine the best way for this to happen.
Do I need to be COVID-19 vaccinated to access the service?
We strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccinations for all persons, however, vaccination approval is subject to each child’s legal guardian. COVID-19 vaccinations are mandatory for all St.Amant employees.
Contact
Please reach out to St.Amant Central Intake
at 204-258-7041 for more information.