Respite means someone else safely cares for your child for a few hours or days so you can rest, work, see a doctor, run errands or spend time with your other children. For parents of autistic children who need close supervision, finding that person is often the hardest part. In Florida, respite can come from several places: APD's iBudget waiver, the CDC+ self-directed option, TRICARE's ECHO program for military families, local community programs and the people around you. This guide compares those routes, who qualifies, and how to ask for each. Program rules are from official sources as of October 2026. For coping with exhaustion more broadly, see caregiver burnout support in Florida.
Where can Florida families get respite?
| Route | Who it is for | What it looks like | How to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| APD iBudget waiver respite | Children under 21 enrolled in the iBudget waiver, living in the family home | Supportive care and supervision while the main caregiver is briefly away or temporarily unable to provide care, from enrolled waiver providers | Ask your waiver support coordinator to include it in the support plan and cost plan |
| CDC+ respite | iBudget enrollees who choose the self-directed CDC+ option | You hire and schedule the respite worker yourself, within your monthly budget and program rules | Ask your CDC+ consultant how to add respite to your Purchasing Plan |
| APD non-waiver help | People eligible for APD, including those on the waitlist | Florida law lists respite among APD community services "to the extent of available resources"; what is available varies | Call your APD regional office and ask what exists for families in pre-enrollment |
| TRICARE ECHO respite | Active duty family members registered in ECHO | Up to 16 hours of in-home respite a month from TRICARE-authorized home health agencies | Ask your Humana Military ECHO case manager |
| EFMP respite | Military families enrolled in their service's EFMP who meet its criteria | A set number of respite hours each month, as a program benefit | Ask your installation's EFMP Family Support office |
| Local community programs | Varies by county and program | Parents' night out events, camps, faith-based or nonprofit programs | Dial 211; ask your regional CARD center and local family care council |
| Family, friends and trades | Anyone | A trusted relative, neighbor or another parent you swap time with | Teach them your child's routines and safety plan |
How does respite work under APD's iBudget waiver?
Respite is part of Florida law and of the waiver. Section 393.066(3), Florida Statutes, lists "respite services" among the community-based services that, "to the extent of available resources," APD provides to prevent institutionalization. APD's iBudget services page defines waiver respite care as a service that "provides supportive care and supervision to individuals under age 21, living in the family home, when the primary caregiver is unavailable due to a brief planned or emergency absence, or when the primary caregiver is temporarily physically unable to provide care."
Three things to know:
- Your child must be enrolled in the waiver. Most families wait years on the pre-enrollment list. APD's August 2026 report showed 15,401 people in pre-enrollment. If your child is in a true crisis, read about APD crisis enrollment.
- It is part of the iBudget. Respite is paid from your child's individual budget, along with other services. Your support coordinator builds the cost plan, and the waiver pays only after other resources (s. 393.0662(3)).
- It is for under-21s in the family home, according to APD's service description. Ask your support coordinator what options exist after 21.
Waiver respite comes from enrolled providers. APD's online provider search and your support coordinator can help you find agencies that serve your area. If no enrolled provider can staff the hours you need, ask about CDC+.
Can CDC+ make respite easier to find?
Often, yes. Under Consumer-Directed Care Plus, families on the iBudget waiver manage a monthly budget and can hire their own workers. APD's CDC+ How-To Guide says "people hired do not have to be enrolled as Medicaid waiver providers" and "employees can be friends or family members." Section 409.221, the Florida Consumer-Directed Care Act, lists "day care and respite care services" among the services a budget allowance may pay for.
That can let you pay a trusted person your child already knows, at times that suit your family. Every worker must pass a level 2 background screening (s. 409.221), and you take on employer duties such as approving timesheets. Whether a particular relative can be paid for respite depends on program rules, so ask your CDC+ consultant first. Our CDC+ guide explains how the program works.
What about families still on the APD waitlist?
This is where most families are. Options to try:
- Ask APD directly. Call your regional office and ask: "My child is in pre-enrollment Category __. Are there any respite or family support funds or programs available while we wait?" Older APD materials mention one-time Individual and Family Supports funds for people on the waitlist when funds exist. We could not find a current APD page describing that program, so ask the regional office whether anything like it is available now.
- Dial 211. 211 is a free, confidential information and referral line. Ask specifically for respite, parents' night out programs, camps and caregiver support for a child with autism.
- Ask CARD. Florida's regional CARD centers provide free resource and referral help and know local programs. See which CARD serves my county.
- Ask your family care council. Council members are families who know what exists in your region. See family care councils.
- Check your health plan. Call member services and ask whether respite is a covered benefit or whether there is a care management program for caregivers.
How does respite work for military families?
If the sponsor is on active duty, TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) offers up to 16 hours of in-home respite a month for registered family members, from TRICARE-authorized home health agencies. ECHO Home Health Care has a separate respite benefit for homebound beneficiaries, and the two cannot be used in the same month. EFMP respite through the military services is separate again; Military OneSource calls it "a program benefit, not an entitlement." Details, costs and registration steps are in our TRICARE ECHO guide. Children of active duty service members who move to Florida with home and community-based services from another state also have a special path into APD services under section 393.065(6).
How do we choose a respite provider?
Whatever the route, use the same checklist before you leave your child with someone new:
- Screening: Has the person passed a level 2 background screening, if the program requires it? Ask to see proof.
- Experience: Have they cared for autistic children with needs like your child's, such as elopement, self-injury, communication devices or toileting?
- Safety plan: Give them a one-page plan: your child's communication style, likes and dislikes, triggers, calming strategies, medical needs and allergies, and what to do if your child wanders. Florida law treats any missing child as a missing endangered person, so the rule is to call 911 immediately.
- Water: If there is a pool, pond or canal nearby, make sure the respite worker knows to check water first and keeps barriers locked.
- Trial run: Start with a short visit while you are home, then a short outing, before a longer break.
- Debrief: Ask how it went, what worked and what to change.
Is ABA therapy a form of respite?
Not really, and it helps to be clear about the difference. ABA is treatment with goals, data and a treatment plan written by a BCBA, and many programs ask parents to take part. Many families do find that ABA eases daily stress: an RBT works with your child on communication, safety and daily routines, and parent training gives you strategies you can use at bedtime, in the car or at the store. Over time, skills like waiting, tolerating new people and following a visual schedule can make respite with a new caregiver go more smoothly.
Hope Center for Behavior Change does not provide respite care. We provide ABA in centers, homes, schools and daycares, written by BCBAs and delivered by RBTs, with weekly parent training. We work with Florida Blue, Aetna, Cigna, UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East, offer self-pay with a sliding scale, and have no waitlist. If your child has Medicaid, center policy does not allow self-pay at Hope Center; you can add marketplace or employer insurance, which we accept, and the sliding scale can help with your share. Ask for a free consultation and benefits check or call 561-337-8865.