Respite · Franklin Park, NJ
Respite Care for Adults with I/DD in Franklin Park, NJ
Short-term, DDD-funded relief care that gives unpaid family caregivers a real break — while your adult relative with intellectual and developmental disabilities stays safely supported and engaged at our Franklin Park program.
Definition
What is respite in a NJ DDD day program?
Respite is short-term, temporary care that relieves unpaid family caregivers while their adult relative with I/DD stays safely supervised and engaged. Per New Jersey DDD, respite delivers caregiver relief rather than skill-building.
What does respite at FOLAK include?
Respite provides supervised care, supportive companionship, and engaging group activities for an adult with I/DD while a family caregiver takes a break. The focus stays on safety, comfort, and engagement rather than formal skill instruction.
Respite at FOLAK Healthcare LLC's Adult Social Program of NJ centers on keeping an adult with I/DD safe, comfortable, and meaningfully occupied while their family caregiver steps away. Participants join supervised group activities — recreation, music, arts, social time, and rest — alongside peers in the Franklin Park program, with staffing matched to each person's documented support needs.
Unlike day habilitation, respite carries no formal skill-building agenda. New Jersey DDD defines respite by its purpose — caregiver relief — so sessions emphasize supervision, companionship, and enjoyment rather than instructional goals. The Arc of New Jersey similarly frames respite as planned, short-term relief that protects family stability.
Who does respite help?
Respite serves unpaid family caregivers — parents, siblings, and relatives who support an adult with I/DD at home — and the adults themselves, who spend the relief period safely supervised among peers in a structured setting.
Unpaid family caregivers carry the daily work of supporting an adult relative with I/DD, and sustained caregiving without breaks drives burnout. AAIDD and The Arc both identify caregiver respite as a core family support that protects long-term, in-home living. Respite at FOLAK gives those caregivers scheduled, reliable time to rest, work, or attend to other family needs.
The adult participant benefits too. During respite, the person spends time in a structured, social environment with trained staff and peers, which keeps the relief period engaging rather than isolating — consistent with the community-integration expectations CMS sets for Home and Community-Based Services.
How does respite work at FOLAK?
Respite at FOLAK starts when a family contacts the Franklin Park office and their DDD Support Coordinator adds respite to the Individualized Service Plan. Scheduled sessions then provide short-term coverage matched to the family's break.
Getting started begins with a conversation. Families contact FOLAK at (732) 869-9104 or folakhealthcarellc@gmail.com and connect the program with their DDD Support Coordinator, the independent professional who builds and authorizes the Individualized Service Plan. New Jersey DDD requires every service, including respite, to appear in that plan before delivery.
Once respite is authorized, FOLAK schedules sessions around the family's needs and the participant's budget. Because the Support Coordinator — not the provider — manages the ISP, families keep full choice over how respite fits the rest of their services.
How does respite fit the ISP and DDD funding?
New Jersey DDD funds respite through Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services, authorized line-by-line in each participant's Individualized Service Plan. The Support Coordinator includes respite within the NJ CAT tier budget; FOLAK delivers the service as an enrolled provider.
Respite funding flows through New Jersey DDD, which delivers adult I/DD services as Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services under New Jersey's 1115 Comprehensive Medicaid Waiver. Eligibility rests on three tests: age 21 or older, a developmental disability defined in N.J.S.A. 30:6D-3, and NJ FamilyCare Medicaid enrollment.
The NJ CAT assessment sets each person's tier and annual budget, and the Support Coordinator allocates respite within it. New Jersey DDD also lists respite among self-directable services, so families who self-direct arrange respite through a fiscal intermediary. FOLAK delivers respite as the chosen provider, separate from the Support Coordination Agency that monitors the plan.
What do families expect from respite?
Families expect dependable supervision, genuine rest, and clear communication. FOLAK keeps caregivers and guardians informed under Stephen Komninos' Law and follows Danielle's Law emergency-response rules, so the relief period brings real peace of mind.
Peace of mind anchors the respite experience. FOLAK follows New Jersey DDD's family-protection laws — Stephen Komninos' Law, which governs guardian communication, staff background and drug screening, and unannounced monitoring, and Danielle's Law, which requires immediate 911 response in life-threatening emergencies.
Clear communication continues throughout. Families receive updates about their relative's day, and FOLAK's rights-based, person-centered approach reflects the dignity, choice, and non-isolating standards CMS requires of Home and Community-Based Services settings under 42 CFR 441.301.
What do families ask about respite?
Who is eligible for DDD respite in New Jersey?
Adults age 21 and older with an intellectual or developmental disability defined under N.J.S.A. 30:6D-3 qualify when they hold NJ FamilyCare Medicaid and a DDD service budget. Respite specifically supports adults who live with unpaid family caregivers.
How is respite paid for?
New Jersey DDD funds respite through Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services. Once a Support Coordinator authorizes it in the Individualized Service Plan and within the NJ CAT tier budget, the participant's DDD budget covers the service — families pay nothing out of pocket for authorized respite.
How do we set up respite at FOLAK?
Contact FOLAK at (732) 869-9104 or folakhealthcarellc@gmail.com, then ask your DDD Support Coordinator to add respite to the Individualized Service Plan. After authorization, FOLAK schedules sessions around your family's break and the participant's budget.
What makes FOLAK's respite effective?
Effective respite combines dependable, trained supervision with genuine caregiver rest. FOLAK pairs safe, engaging group activities for the adult participant with consistent family communication under Stephen Komninos' Law, so caregivers recharge while their relative stays supported among peers.
How does respite differ from day habilitation?
Respite and day habilitation serve different purposes. Per New Jersey DDD, day habilitation builds community and daily-living skills, while respite provides short-term relief for family caregivers without a skill-building agenda. Respite focuses on safe supervision and engagement during a caregiver's break.
What other services does FOLAK Healthcare offer?
Day Habilitation
Structured daytime programming that builds daily-living, social, and self-care skills — promoting independence, routine, and meaningful engagement for adults with I/DD.
Individual Support
One-to-one assistance matched to each person's goals — support with daily routines, communication, and personal care, delivered with dignity and choice.
Behavior Management
Positive behavioral support that helps individuals self-regulate, communicate needs, and reduce barriers to participation, guided by each person's plan.
Prevocational Training
Work-readiness skill-building — task sequencing, soft skills, and work habits — that prepares individuals for volunteer roles and future employment.
Community-Based Support
Staff-supported access to the wider community — errands, recreation, volunteering, and local activities — that builds real-world skills and natural connections.
Community Inclusion
Opportunities to take part in community life — outings, social groups, and civic activities — that build belonging beyond the program walls.
How do you start adult day services in Franklin Park, NJ?
Start with a visit. Schedule a tour or call us, and our team walks you through the center, answers your questions, and sets up a simple intake assessment.