Community support

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Many forms of support are available to parents, carers and siblings. You'll find information here about:
Taking a break (respite) 
Child care
Help for families in crisis
Help for foster families
Family support groups
Support for brothers and sisters
Help at home
Resources

Taking a break (respite)

Respite gives families and carers a break from caring for a person with disability. Respite can be for a few hours, a day, overnight or longer and may be at your home or in a respite centre. Some families or carers use respite regularly, others only occasionally - for example, when going on holiday.

To find respite in your area:

• phone Commonwealth Carelink on freecall 1800 052 222
• contact your closest Disability Services office
• if your child has autism or Asperger syndrome - contact Autism SA community services.

Fo information about who's eligible for respite through Disability Services phone the Disability Information Service on 1300 786 117 (cost of a local call) or email disabilityinfo@dcsi.gov.sa.au.

More information is provided in the respite care information sheet.

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Child care

Child care includes family day care, out-of-school-hours care, occasional care and child care centres.

• Child care services in your area - Department for Education and Child Development.
• Family day care program - available for families with children with moderate to severe disability. This service is generally available for up to 156 hours per child per year but more time may be possible in special circumstances.
• Children's Centres - Early Childhood Development and Parenting offer many services for children from birth to eight years of age and their families, including child care.
• Autism-specific early learning and care centres provide child care for children aged up to six who have Autism Spectrum Disorders. The centres aim to have a positive impact on long-term life outcomes. For more information phone 1800 289 177.
• Inclusion Support Subsidy - helps child care centres to pay for the extra costs of caring for children with special needs. Your child care or family day care provider will need to apply. For more information phone your child care service or the Commonwealth Government's Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305.
• Novita Inclusion Support Program - helps child care services to include children with special needs. Your child care centre will need to apply with the permission of the parent or guardian. For more information contact Novita Inclusion Support Program.

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Help for families in crisis

If you have serious concerns about continuing to look after a child with disability, contact your closest Disability Services office.

Ask Disability Services about the Intensive Family Intervention Service and find out if it is suitable for you. The Intensive Family Intervention Service is a team of:

• psychologists
• social workers
• intervention support workers
• a speech pathologist
• developmental programmers
• an occupational therapist.

For more information see the Specialist Service for Children and Youth - intensive family support information sheet.

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Help for foster families

If you have concerns about continuing to care for a foster child with disability, talk to your Families SA social worker. He or she may be able to refer you to:

Disability Services Alternative Care Disability Support Program
171 Days Road
Regency Park SA 5010
Phone 8348 6500

For more information see the foster families information sheet.

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Family support groups

A directory of parenting groups can be found on the Parenting SA website and social and support groups are run by Disability Services in partnership with other organisations.

Support for mums, dads, grandparents and anyone caring for children with disability, developmental delay or chronic medical conditions is provided through MyTime. For more information about MyTime view their website or phone 1800 889 997.

Family workshops, support networks and other groups are run by Autism SA Spectrum Advisory Services.

You can contact your key worker to work with you to find parent and family support groups if you receive support from:

• Disability Services 
• Autism SA
• Novita Children's Services
• Sensory Options.

Disability Services can help with inquiries and provide information about all disability services in South Australia if you do not receive support from any of these organisations. Phone 1300 786 117 (9.00 am to 5.00 pm weekdays).

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