Lifespan respite care program

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living awarded the Oklahoma Department of Human Services a $800,000 cooperative agreement on September 30, 2025, under the Lifespan Respite Care Program (CFDA 93.072) to establish a coordinated statewide respite care system serving family caregivers across the lifespan.

Over the three-year period of performance through September 29, 2028, Oklahoma DHS will deliver four major products: the Oklahoma Lifespan Respite Registry (OKLRR), a searchable online provider database serving as a single point of entry; the OKCARES Trained Respite Provider (OKTRP) program curriculum and training materials to recruit and train up to 500 new providers annually; an expanded financial assistance voucher program providing respite vouchers to at least 50 new families each year; and a replicable mini-grant program model for national dissemination. Work is performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The initiative targets families of children and adults with special needs regardless of age, disability, or chronic condition, with intended outcomes including measurable reductions in caregiver stress, increased access to services for vulnerable populations, enhanced provider choice, multi-system cost savings, and a strengthened direct care workforce. The project aligns with the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers and integrates federal, state, and local resources to reduce caregiver burden and prevent costly institutionalization.

Abstract

The oklahoma human services (okdhs) proposes a three-year project to improve the delivery and quality of respite services for family caregivers across the lifespan. The goal is to establish a coordinated, statewide lifespan respite care system, guided by the 2022 national strategy to support family CAREGIVERS1, to reduce caregiver burden and prevent costly institutionalization. This project is specifically designed to meet the grant's definition of lifespan respite care by bringing together federal, state, and local resources to support, expand, and streamline services for families of children and adults with special needs, regardless of age, disability, or chronic condition. Key objectives include: 1) launching the online oklahoma lifespan respite registry (oklrr) as a single point of entry to a searchable provider database; 2) expanding the workforce by recruiting and training up to 500 new providers annually through the okcares trained respite provider (oktrp) program; 3) reducing financial barriers by providing respite vouchers to at least 50 new families each year; and 4) ensuring long-term sustainability through data-driven advocacy for state funding. Anticipated outcomes include measurable reductions in caregiver stress, increased access to services for vulnerable populations, greater caregiver choice in providers, significant multi-system cost savings for the state, and a strengthened direct care workforce. Major products will include the fully functional oklrr online registry, the oktrp training curriculum and materials, an expanded financial assistance voucher program, and a replicable mini-grant program model to be shared nationally.