Applications for the Colorado Family Respite Voucher are now open!

The Colorado Respite Coalition’s Self-Directed Family Respite Voucher Program provides funds for respite care to family caregivers across the state of Colorado, serving all ages and extensive health care needs. This program offers a resource for unserved and underserved family caregivers who have limited access to respite care and/or other supports through current systems. This program is intended to act as a Payer of Last Resort.

Self-direction is a model of long-term services and supports (LTSS) that helps people of all ages, with all types of disabilities, maintain their independence at home. The use of self-directed services provides individuals and their families the option to direct and manage their own services and supports. Self-direction provides a greater degree of control and choice than is found in traditional models of care.

The design of our voucher program is to empower the family caregiver by giving them control and recognizing their decision-making capacity. Payments can also be made directly to the respite provider or the primary support. Overall, self-direction in respite provides the care recipient and their primary family caregiver control of who provides services and how that is achieved. Choice and control help to ensure that services are person and family-centered and result in satisfaction with services received.