Foster Care Respite Care and Support Groups in California

Fostering is not a job you can leave at the office. There's no clock-out. The demands—visits, appointments, behavioral crises, court dates, school meetings—fall on top of your regular life, and they compound. California's foster care system provides two formal supports that many resource families underuse: funded respite care and structured support groups. Knowing how to access both before you need them is the kind of preparation that keeps families in the system rather than burning out of it.

Respite Care: What It Is and Who Pays for It

Respite care is temporary, short-term care provided by another RFA-approved person or family so you can take a break. In California, respite is an authorized support service—meaning the county or FFA can fund it through the child's case plan.

You are not entitled to a set number of respite hours. Respite must be requested and approved through the child's social worker or the FFA case manager overseeing your placement. The typical process:

1. You request respite in writing or by phone, stating the dates needed and the reason
2. The social worker reviews the request and the available options
3. If approved, the social worker identifies a respite provider (another RFA-approved family or individual) or authorizes you to use one you've identified
4. The respite provider is paid through the case fund, not out of your pocket

What counts as a legitimate respite request? Essentially any need that requires you to be away from the child or unavailable to care for them: a family vacation that you can't take the child on yet, a medical procedure, a work obligation that leaves no backup, caregiver exhaustion. You do not need to justify taking a break—you are a human being, not a residential facility with rotating staff.

Finding Respite Providers

This is where things get complicated. California doesn't have a centralized statewide respite registry. Finding a qualified, RFA-approved respite provider depends heavily on which county you're in and which network you're connected to.

Through your FFA: If you're certified through a Foster Family Agency, the agency is often your best first call. FFAs maintain their own networks of certified families and can often match you with a respite provider who has experience with a child's specific needs (age, behavioral profile, medical needs).

Through the county: County welfare departments can also authorize respite placements with other county-approved resource families. In practice, finding someone available with the right capacity takes time. Don't wait until you're desperate to start asking.

Through peer networks: Facebook groups like "California State Foster Parent Association (CFPA)" or county-specific groups are often the fastest route to finding another resource family willing to provide mutual respite—an informal exchange where two families back each other up. This still requires county or FFA approval of the specific person providing care, but peer networks surface willing families faster than official channels.

Through CFPA: The California Foster Parent Association has regional chapters that maintain resource networks including respite referrals. Connecting with your local chapter early in the process builds relationships before you need them.

Support Groups: Why They're Worth Your Time

Most resource families who stay in the system long-term name their peer network as one of the primary reasons. Support groups aren't therapy sessions—they're a place to ask questions that Google can't answer, vent safely about situations you can't discuss publicly (due to confidentiality requirements), and hear from families who have navigated what you're facing.

California offers several types of support groups for resource families:

County-sponsored groups: Most county welfare departments run monthly or bi-monthly resource family support meetings. These are facilitated by county staff and often include updates on policy changes, guest speakers (attorneys, therapists), and open discussion time. LA County DCFS runs multiple groups by region.

FFA-hosted groups: Foster Family Agencies typically run their own support groups for certified families, often with more flexibility in topics and format than county-sponsored groups. If your FFA offers these, they also count toward your annual renewal training hours in most counties.

CFPA chapter meetings: The California Foster Parent Association's regional chapters hold regular meetings that are independent of any specific county or agency. These can be valuable if you're navigating tensions with your county social worker and want peer perspective outside the official system.

Online communities: California-specific Facebook groups and subreddits (r/Fosterparents, r/fosterit) are active and large. They can't replace an in-person relationship with a fellow resource family, but they provide 24-hour access to people in similar situations.

Peer Support and Burnout Prevention

The research on resource family retention is unambiguous: families who feel supported and connected to other caregivers stay longer. Families who feel isolated and without information leave—and their departures remove stable placements from children who need continuity.

The CDSS and county departments know this. That's why many counties have moved toward "shared parenting" and "team child" models that explicitly include resource families in case planning meetings and expect active communication with birth families. Your support network is part of the system's infrastructure, not a personal luxury.

Building that network starts before you get your first placement. Connect with your county's support group during training. Join your CFPA regional chapter. Find at least one other resource family in your area who could provide mutual respite. The time spent doing this before you need it is one of the best investments you can make in your longevity as a caregiver.

The California Foster Care Licensing Guide includes guidance on how to request respite through your county or FFA, questions to ask your social worker about available respite funding, and a directory of county CFPA chapter contacts across California.

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