family support SERVICES

Respite & Respitality

Support, hospitality, opportunity and Community

The Cridge Respite and Respitality Services are two interconnected programs, designed to meet the needs of families in Greater Victoria who are raising a child with a diagnosed disability or mental health challenge. Our goal is to offer an opportunity for parents or guardians to have a vital break from the physical and mental stressors of day-to-day life to rest, reset, recharge, and rejuvenate. We also provide information and support to assist families in finding community resources, and in accessing respite.

Referrals are made to Respite & Respitality by the family Child & Youth With Support Needs or Child & Youth Mental Health team.

Four Core Components of Respite & Respitality

Support – providing information, emotional support, resources and advocacy to parents as they navigate the challenges of raising a child with complex needs, and assist them in finding respite care providers

Hospitality – offering parents a break via an overnight stay in a hotel, donated by our generous hotel partners

Opportunity – helping those parents who are unable to get away for overnight stay access other opportunities for respite by providing restaurant and spa gift certificates, or evenings out to theatres and other local attractions

Community – partnering with local community agencies and businesses to remove financial barriers and encourage parents to experience community events, recreation and the arts

Respite Program

Our Respite Program recognizes the challenges our families face in accessing important services and resources in their community, and in finding Respite Care Providers (RCPs). 

We can help you:

  • Navigate the process of hiring an RCP on your own by assisting you in writing a job ad and detailing your specific requirements, directing you to websites to post your job ad, providing you with sample interview questions, and helping you access respite funding. Please note that respite care costs are at the expense of the family.
  • Advocating for your child, completing paperwork, attending school meetings, and dealing with the many challenges you may be facing.
  • Access to community events and activities through the support of our generous donors and business partners.

Respitality Program

Our Respitality Program recognizes the challenges our parents and guardians face in accessing a vital break from the physical and mental stressors of day-to-day life. Our goal is to provide an experience for parents and guardians to put themselves first.  We also recognize that there can be financial barriers to accessing opportunities for a break or family experience in our community. 

We can help you by offering an opportunity to recharge like a night away from home, or a brief break like dinner out, theatre tickets, movie passes, or spa gift certificates.

The Cridge Respite & Respitality Services does not provide or fund respite care. Arranging for a respite care provider and any associated costs are the responsibility of the family. Available opportunities are based on financial donations to The Cridge Respitality and/or donations from local businesses. Maximum of one Respitality hotel stay annually and based on availability.

our partners

The Cridge Respite Program is funded by the Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD), while The Cridge Respitality Program is 100% funded by donations and contributions from our generous hotel and community partners.

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