Respite child care for EFMP families

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Together with Child Care Aware of America, the Air Force recently launched an expanded program that will provide free child care to families with special needs children. The Exceptional Family Member Program, or EFMP, respite child care is now available to active duty Hanscom families. Rewarding Work Resources will administer the program locally.

"We are so pleased to offer this much-needed program to local active duty Air Force families that have children with special needs," said Dawn Andreucci, Airman and Family Readiness Center readiness consultant. "The Air Force EFMP respite child care will provide families a well-deserved break, knowing that their child is being cared for by trained and screened providers."

According to the organization's website, Child Care Aware of America lead projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake groundbreaking research, and advocate child care policies that improve the lives of children and families.

"Coordinators will work with Massachusetts' child care resource and referral agencies to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care," said Andreucci.

Through this Air Force-funded program, eligible Air Force families may receive 12 hours of respite child care per month at no cost to the family. This is a 50 percent increase for families whose children have moderate needs under the old program. Services will be offered by qualified providers who are recruited, screened and trained in caring for children with special needs by Rewarding Work Resources.

"Rewarding Work Resources is a Brookline-based non-profit founded in 2004 that has created and maintained the Massachusetts Personal Care Assistants directory, an online registry that helps people with disabilities find PCAs for more than four years," said Stephan Anable, Rewarding Work Resources case manager. "Rewarding Work operates similar registries in six other states, helping people with disabilities to remain living in their own homes."

Respite child care is available to active duty or activated Air Guard or Reserve families stationed at nearly 50 stateside Air Force base locations.

The Air Force introduced in three phases, totaling 50 installations. Hanscom is included among the final phase to get involved in this program.

To be eligible for respite child care, Air Force families must be enrolled in EFMP and have a child 18 years of age and younger diagnosed with "moderate" or "severe" special needs.

To apply, eligible families may call 1-800-424-2246. Child Care Aware staff will provide eligibility forms and connect the family with Rewarding Work Resources who will assist in finding a respite care provider to meet their child's needs.

For further information about respite child care, contact Child Care Aware at 1-800-424-2246 or email EFMPrespitecare@us.childcareaware.org.

Respite care information is also available at http://www.naccrra.org/military-families/air-force/us-air-force-exceptional-family-member-program-efmp-respite-care.