Finding Balance With Respite: Bella's Story

For children like 9-year-old Bella, ChildServe Respite offers a chance to have fun and enjoy being a kid. Bella has cerebral palsy, which limits her ability to move on her own.

“Bella needs my help with most activities,” said her mom, Laura. “If she wants to move from one side of the room to the other, I take her there or help her use her walker. With her limited motor skills, Bella needs help eating, getting dressed, and doing most daily activities.”

Respite is designed to give parents a break from the daily demands of being a constant caregiver. Two times each week, respite team members from ChildServe care for Bella for a few hours. These trained caregivers are experienced in caring for kids like Bella, while also being experts in fun.

“I really love the respite program,” said Laura. “Every person we work with is sweet, gentle, and interested in knowing Bella. They come up with activities based on her interests—especially music and art projects. She giggles and laughs a lot when working with her respite team.”

Knowing that Bella has a team to look after her needs, her family is able to find balance.

“Respite gives me the opportunity to do things that would be difficult or take extra time if I had Bella with me,” said Laura. “I am also able to rest and relax for a little while. The respite team really listens and wants to get to know her. Bella loves seeing her respite team members, and she feels they are her friends—that’s really special to find in a caregiver.”

ChildServe Respite Earns National Recognition

ChildServe Respite is one of just seven programs nationwide to be named a 2020 Innovative and Exemplary Respite Service by the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center! By recognizing high-quality programs like ChildServe Respite, ARCH hopes to encourage the study, expansion, and replication of such services. ChildServe’s Respite program serves more than 600 children like Bella each year across the state of Iowa.