Frequently Asked Questions

We work one-to-one with children, youth, adults and seniors who have disabilities, illnesses, or other barriers to participation. Recreational Respite services aim to nurture emotional well-being, social health, and quality of life for individuals who face barriers to participation.

These individualized supports can be used to:

• provide respite for a caregiver
• foster community participation and healthy lifestyles
• nurture emotional wellbeing and quality of life
• pursue recreational interests
• develop independent life skills
• coach in vocational opportunities
• mentor in areas of interest
• support during life transitions
• and more.

Through a Recreation Therapy Assessment, we identify each individual’s interests, goals, and any barriers to participation, and create a personalized plan to support meaningful engagement and overall well-being. A skilled Community Engagement Provider is matched to provide trusted one-to-one respite support, striving to reach desired outcomes through person-centred outcome-based recreation and community participation opportunities.

In-person support is offered in your home or in community settings, for a minimum of two hours per visit. Please note, we do not provide centre-based respite, moderate/enhanced personal care services, or overnight respite.

Virtual one-to-one support is also available. Please inquire with your Client Relations Manager if you are interested in virtual one-to-one support.

Recreational Respite’s respite services are for everyone! We support children, youth, adults and seniors in communities throughout Ontario and British Columbia. Many of the individuals we work with have developmental, physical, or cognitive disabilities, illnesses, mental health experiences, or are experiencing grief, trauma, or significant life changes.

Many of our respite providers are qualified to support complex behaviours and needs. Our respite providers can attend community programs, vocational opportunities, camps, and retirement or long-term care homes with the individual needing support.

We do not require a professional referral or diagnosis to align support.

In-person respite sessions are scheduled for a minimum of two hours (8 hours per month minimum), but more hours are available. Respite sessions are planned directly between you and your Community Engagement Provider, and can be scheduled for weekdays or weekends, during the  morning, afternoon, or evening. Recreational Respite does not offer overnight respite.

Yes, we can provide transportation, if requested. If you require pickups/dropoffs or other transportation as a part of your respite service, please ensure the Client Relations Manager is informed of this so that we can match you with a CEP who can provide this service. If the CEP provides transportation in their personal vehicle, a mileage rate of: $0.95/km +tax applies. (2026 rates).

Other forms of transportation are welcome such as public transit, ride-hailing services, or walking to community locations together.

Your Client Relations Manager is available to you throughout the process. She will match you with a Community Engagement Provider, and evaluate your services continuously by reviewing the Community Engagement Provider’s session notes. She will conduct an automatic quarterly review of your satisfaction, and conduct annual reviews of our Community Engagement Providers. 

If at any time you have a question, suggestion, concern or complaint, you can reach out directly to your Client Relations Manager.

A Community Engagement Provider (CEP) is the worker who is matched to provide respite support to you in your home, in community settings or virtually if desired. You and your CEP will directly communicate via email, text or phone to plan sessions and schedules.

Our team of Community Engagement Providers have diverse educational backgrounds which can include: Recreation Therapy, Recreation and Leisure Services, Early Childhood Education, Educational Assistant, Child and Youth Work, Social Service Work, Social Worker, Developmental Service Work, Disability Studies, Psychology or Counselling Studies, Dementia Studies, or other Human/Health Service Fields. Many of our CEP’s have additional qualifications, such as non-violent crisis intervention training, therapeutic respite training, etc. We aim to match you with a Community Engagement Provider who has the knowledge, skills and experience to support your needs. 

We prioritize our clients’ safety, and each CEP must provide a clear Vulnerable Sector Records Check, current First Aid/CPR-AED certification, comply with our Child Protection Policy, and maintain their professional field or designation standards. CEP’s who provide transportation to our clients must have a valid driver’s license and clean driving abstract.

This is a free, 30 minute virtual/phone consultation with your Client Relations Manager. They will help you learn about our services, and from there, you can decide if Recreational Respite is the right fit. If you decide to initiate our respite services, the Client Relations Manager will gather helpful information to match you with a Community Engagement Provider who can support your needs and availability.

This is a virtual session that will last up to one hour, and is designed to gather information about the individual’s interests, goals, and any recreational participation barriers. The assessment will inform the creation of a personalized plan to support meaningful engagement and overall well-being. Family members, caregivers or professionals are welcome to share insights regarding leisure interests, support needs, and necessary accommodations.

The Recreation Therapy Assessment will be scheduled with Kiana Fawcett-Paul, a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (#87137) who is skilled in the APIED (Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, and Documentation) process.  

About CTRS: A Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist ® (CTRS) is a qualified professional who provides or directly supervises recreational therapy services. Recreation Therapy aims to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual functioning to facilitate full participation. The CTRS is a certified recreational therapist who has demonstrated professional competence by acquiring a specific body of knowledge and passing the NCTRC exam. 

About Recreation Therapy | NCTRC  https://www.nctrc.org/about-ncrtc/about-recreational-therapy/ 

About The Qualified Provider | NCTRC https://www.nctrc.org/about-certification/ctrs-the-qualified-provider/ 

This is when you meet your Community Engagement Provider (CEP)! Once we have found a great match for you, your Client Relations Manager will connect you with your CEP by email, sharing their name, contact information, and a photo. From there, your CEP will contact you to organize your introductory meeting. 

The introductory meeting is a one-hour, in-person “meet & greet” between the parent/caregiver, person receiving support, and the CEP. This meeting typically takes place in the home unless an alternate location is preferred. The ongoing schedule and planning will also be discussed at this time.

Once the introductory meeting is completed, you and your CEP will directly communicate via email, text or phone regarding scheduling.

Any time you have a concern, we encourage you to contact your Client Relations Manager to discuss and make a plan together for the next steps.

We enter into a Service Agreement together to show agreement on our terms and conditions. You are not bound to any time commitment, and can cancel your service agreement at any time.

Once you initiate service, we will work to align you with a Community Engagement Provider in your area. This process can take time (approximately 2-6 weeks or more) as we focus on finding the right fit based on your needs and preferences. Wait times do vary in each community according to our local team’s capacity, and we cannot always guarantee a match. During this time, we will keep you updated regularly, and you’re always welcome to reach out with any questions and updates to your needs.

In-Person Hourly Rate: $40.50 – 42.50 +tax.
The hourly rate is determined based on the individual’s needs, and is used to compensate a respite provider with a higher level of skill, experience or training.

• Where a higher level of risk is assessed, such as when an individual displays physical aggression, self-injury, property destruction, or non-compliance.
• Where longer sessions are required.
• Where there is a need for a high level of support in ADL’s such as toileting (this service is not available in all communities).

Other rates:
Recreation Therapy Assessment: $100.00 +tax (one-time fee)
Mileage (optional): $0.95/km +tax
Virtual Hourly Rate (optional): $35.40 +tax

Rates are effective our one-to-one support in 2026. Invoices are prepared monthly, and must be paid upon receipt.

Recreational Respite’s services are recognized by ministry funding and private foundations for individuals or families who qualify, including:

British Columbia:

• British Columbia Child and Family Services: BC Autism Funding and BC Children and Youth with Support Needs
  Families can contact the Autism Funding Program for more information on how to be approved to use their funding with Recreational Respite, based on individual approval.
• Community Living British Columbia: CLBC Individualized Funding
• CKNW Radio: CKNW Kids’ Fund
• Indigenous Service Canada: Jordan’s Principle
• Métis Nation British Columbia: Miyoopimaatishihk (Wellbeing) Program
• Military Families Resource Centres: Support to Families with Special Needs – MFRC

Ontario:

• Autism Ontario: Building Brighter Futures Fund
• Indigenous Service Canada: Jordan’s Principle
• Military Families Resource Centre: Support to Families with Special Needs – MFRC
• Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services:
  Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities – ACSD
  Children with Special Needs, Community Enhancement – CSN
  Passport Program
  Special Services at Home – SSAH
  Ontario Autism Program: Urgent Response Service – OAP URS

Direct billing is available with some funding providers. If your funding provider is not listed, please reach out to us to discuss.

Recreational Respite will invoice you each month for the total monthly hours and any other applicable fees, such as mileage. 

Payment is due to Recreational Respite upon receipt of the invoice. We accept a variety of payment methods including e-transfer, debit, credit, and other popular payment methods. In some cases, we can submit to a funding provider for direct billing.

Your Community Engagement Provider’s wages are paid to them by Recreational Respite.

The individual/family is required to pay for tickets, admission fees, their own food, and cover activity supply costs.

Your Client Relations Manager can assist with an Access 2 Card application to reduce or eliminate admission fees for a support person. The Access 2 Card is for people of all ages and types of permanent disabilities who require the assistance of a support person at hundreds of participating entertainment, cultural and recreational venues across Canada. 

We understand that unforeseen circumstances come up from time-to-time. If you need to cancel or reschedule a planned session, our policy is that 24 hours notice must be given to the Community Engagement Provider in writing (text or email) to cancel with no charge. If you give less than 24 hours notice, you will be invoiced for 50% of the planned session’s length.

Points of contact include:

1. Your Community Engagement Provider: Contact for scheduling, planning visits, and minor health updates.
2. Client Relations Manager: Contact for moderate or significant health, behaviour, or life updates; changes in caregiver contact information or client information; requests to increase or decrease levels of support; changes or concerns about billing and funding; feedback about respite sessions.
3. Chief Executive Officer: Contact Allison Reis, Owner and CEO, if you would like to hasten or escalate feedback about our services.