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Project Rainbow - Children’s Respite Services
Delivering care for children with special needs and their families
For more than a quarter of a century, Project Rainbow has provided a vital resource to families in the community who are raising one or more children who are medically fragile, chronically ill or diagnosed with a disability. Respite care workers serve these families with home-based respite care, drop-off respite, and case management support.
 Project Rainbow - Children’s Respite Services provides temporary relief for families or caregivers by providing safe environments where kids get time to be kids and parents/caregivers get time to themselves. Project Rainbow supports strong and healthy families by providing the integral breaks from care giving when inherent stress levels begin to impact the individual parent or caregiver.
Children from birth to age 17 are eligible for Project Rainbow - Children’s Respite Services and children in the program are carefully supervised. Project Rainbow will supervise all of the minors in the home when they provide the respite care, not just the child with special needs.
Our services include:
Home-Based Respite Care: Trained respite care workers provide home-based respite care services and activities to families of children who are chronically ill, medically fragile and/or developmentally/physically disabled. The program provides relief from care giving to primary caregivers and families in four hour increments.
 Community-Based Respite Care: Trained respite care workers provide community-based respite activities to children who are chronically ill, medically fragile and/or developmentally/physically disabled. The program provides relief from care giving to primary caregivers and families in four hour increments, as well as creating a social environment for the children to gather and participate in group activities and socialization among their peers. This program allows caregivers to enjoy quality time in the home.
Case Management: This educational aspect of our program offerings ensures that families and children are aware and have access to any available, appropriate community resources. Case management allows for the coordination of comprehensive services provided by Easter Seals and other appropriate agencies within the community. As part of case management, the program collects food and other necessary items for the families through organizations such as: the F.A.N. Club, the Mayor’s Feed the Hungry Program, Gifts In Kind, Kiwanis, Rotary Club and private contributions. Easter Seals collaborates with Foundation for Dreams, Inc. to offer respite care and recreational camping at Dream Oaks Camp.
We also provide training in Adult, Infant & Child CPR, First Aid, American Red Cross Caregiver Training, six other safety modules, and Blood borne pathogens to respite care workers.
How to Reach Us
Clients most often find Easter Seals Project Rainbow through referrals from local pediatricians, Children’s Medical Services, Sarasota and Manatee County School Boards, Young Children and Families, Sarasota-Manatee Respite Coalition, Manatee Glens, Children First, area hospitals as well as family and friends. If you or someone you know would benefit from our services, please call: (941) 355-7637 or e-mail us at projectrainbow@easterseal.org
Services are provided by appointment in the home and in our main branch on Braden Avenue in north Sarasota County. Office hours are from 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, and community-based and after-hours as needed.
How You Can Help
Because of support from the community, we are able to continue helping families in our area who are in need of this vital service. Financial contributions, in-kind donations and volunteers are always welcome and appreciated.
A donation of $100 pays for four hours of respite care for a family with a special needs child. $500 pays for a holiday party or a beach party for the children in our respite program. $1000 pays for a special outing for the children to fun and educational places like the Mote Marine Aquarium or MOSI.
Contributions can be mailed or delivered to:
350 Braden Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34243 or Online
Thank you for your support.
Facts About the Families Who Use Our Services
Parents of children who are medically fragile or chronically ill have increased costs associated with physician visits, medications, etc. As a result, there is often little money left to spend, especially for respite or child care which is arguably not a primary staple. However, parents or caregivers who care for these children and young adults need someone they can rely on to help with this care.
Nearly half of all families of children with special needs lack basic workplace supports such as paid sick leave and vacation time (National Family Caregiver Association, Spring 2001) and their families face a significantly higher divorce rate than families of children without disabilities (US House of Representatives, Selection Committee on Children, Youth and Families, 1984). In a 1989 national survey of families of a child with a disability, 74% reported that respite had made a significant difference in their ability to provide care at home (Human Services Research Institute, March, 1989). Respite care services help the family and family unit by providing supports needed to help maintain stable employment and the family unit.
Based upon the number of children identified in the “Profile of Florida School Districts 2001-2002”, 6,619 students or 17% of the student population qualifies for the exceptional education program (not inclusive of gifted and talented students). The increased number of children in the community also correlates with an increased potential and incidence in the number of chronically ill, medically fragile and developmentally/physically disabled children. Thus, the number of families requiring respite services in the home and through community-based programs has increased. Respite care will aid the child in their own personal development. Additionally, the respite care program provides the necessary “safety net” for families in crisis due to challenging medical issues by providing case management for the family, thus helping to reduce the reliance on emergency community resources.
Contact us for more information on Project Rainbow - Children's Respite Services at Easter Seals Southwest Florida.
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