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FIREFLY in Kenora-Rainy River is putting out the help wanted sign for respite workers.
Spokesperson Joel Willett says they do provide training for anyone who might be interested.
“The training is all accessible online (and) would take a candidate 12 to 24 hours depending on how quickly they go through the information,” says Willett, “there is specific respite care worker training as well as online first aid and CPR training.”
They say the call for more workers is coming from parents.
“The message that we’ve heard from parents in our region is that they have a real challenge finding qualified respite workers. They’re looking for people who are interested in spending time with their children with special needs…it might be within their home or a community setting.”
Willett explains what families are looking for in a worker.
“Families are typically looking for someone long-term they can build a relationship with. They are often are looking for someone maybe on a weekly basis, it might be some overnight service, or maybe accompanying their child to a camp because they need some support in order to participate.”
They tell us that respite care is important because without it, families may be at risk of breakdown or the child could require a long-term placement elsewhere.
Willett adds anyone interested can click here for more information.
