The “Relief” program is designed for children newborn to age 21 who suffer from chronic disabilities. According to plan, the children stay with a host family from their home town once or twice a month. The program was implemented in Bene Braq. All of the families who participated in the program were ultra-orthodox Jews.
The “Relief” program was evaluated by the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute between 2001 and late 2003. Data were gathered at two points in time: at the beginning of hosting (March 2001), and approximately two years later (January 2003). During the study, we collected data on 37 children who participated in the program by interviewing their mothers and host mothers.
The study had two main goals: to examine the program’s implementation from the preparatory stage until its routine implementation; and to examine its impact on the participants and their satisfaction with it. The following were among the main findings:
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The target population’s response rate was high and was compatible with the implementers’ expectations regarding both families of children with disabilities and host families.
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The families of children with disabilities used the host family respite care to a limited extent. The average number of times a child used the service during the period examined (March 2001 – January 2003) was 6.4 for children under the auspices of the Division for Mentally Retarded Persons and 6.3 for children under the auspices of the Rehabilitation Division. Children under the auspices of the Division for Mentally Retarded Persons had various levels of retardation or retardation and additional problems. Children under the auspices of the Rehabilitation Division had a range of disabilities, from sensory disabilities to rare syndromes and diseases.
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Most of the children’s mothers reported that the hosting improved their children’s communication and social skills and that their children were very satisfied with the hosting. Almost all of the host mothers noted that the hosting had a positive effect on their families in promoting values of mutual aid and acceptance.
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In general, satisfaction with the program was high, among both the children’s families and the host families.
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The program also met the needs of the children’s families in emergencies such as illness of a member of the household or the mother’s postpartum stay at the hospital.
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After 18 months, we found no changes the children’s mothers’ emotional welfare, and even a slight deterioration in their sense of burden and social support. A possible explanation for this is that families of children with disabilities bear a heavy burden, due to their continuous care of their child, such that the program cannot be expected to significantly reduce their level of burden. In addition, the families’ use of the program was fairly limited. Possibly, a greater use of the host service would bring more relief to the mothers.
This evaluation reveals that, in general, the program’s implementation in Bene Braq was successful, as reflected in its swift inculcation, the community’s high response rate to it, and the successful cooperation of the relevant parties. Nonetheless, future implementation of the program for other populations should be examined.
The study findings were presented to program implementers from the “Ezer Mizion” organization and at Bene Braq municipality, to members of the program’s steering committee, and to Ashalim’s professional committee. The study was initiated by JDC-Israel and Ashalim and funded with their assistance.