Respite Care in Washington, DC for Families of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

If you care for an adult son, daughter, sibling or friend with an intellectual or developmental disability at home, you already know the work does not stop at 5 pm. Respite is the service DC’s disability waivers fund so that you can step away for a while, and so the person you care for keeps their routine while you do. This guide explains what respite is in DC, who can get it, how much is allowed, and how to ask for it.

A few names you will see: DDS is the DC Department on Disability Services. Inside DDS, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Your Service Coordinator is the DDA staff member who works with you on the Individual Support Plan (ISP), the plan that lists the services a person receives.

What is respite care?

In DC’s IDD and IFS Waivers, respite care gives relief to the family member or primary caregiver who looks after the person at home. DC’s approved waivers say it can be used for planned time away, including vacations, and in emergencies (IDD Waiver, 2026; IFS Waiver, 2026).

Respite is not only a pause for you. The waivers require that the person keeps doing the community activities in their ISP during respite, including getting to school or other activities, with transportation included. The point is that their routine is not interrupted.

Who qualifies for respite in DC?

Respite is a waiver service, so the person needs to be enrolled in one of DC’s two waivers for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: the IDD Waiver or the Individual and Family Supports (IFS) Waiver. Both waivers list the same basic eligibility criteria (IDD Waiver, 2026; IFS Waiver, 2026):

• A DC resident who is receiving services from DDS/DDA.
• On Medicaid, with income up to 300% of the SSI amount.
• Meets the level of care for an intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IDD). DDS decides this.
• At least 18 years old.

Respite also depends on where the person lives. It is only for people who live in their own home or their family’s home. It is not offered in an ICF, and it is not available to someone who receives Supported Living, Host Home or Residential Habilitation. A Host Home provider, for example, must provide or arrange 14 days of Host Home Respite a year for the host family, so the waiver does not pay for respite separately (IDD Waiver, 2026).

How much respite can you get?

• Up to 720 hours or 30 days per person each calendar year. This limit is the same in the IDD and IFS Waivers.
• Only what the plan authorizes. Respite cannot go beyond what is approved in the person’s ISP and Plan of Care. The 720 hours are a ceiling, not an automatic amount.
• More is possible, with DDS approval. To go over 720 hours, the provider submits a written justification to DDS with the ISP. It must describe the temporary emergency, explain why no other family, natural or community support is available, and explain how the extra hours support the person’s needs, along with a revised ISP (IDD Waiver, 2026; IFS Waiver, 2026).

On the IFS Waiver, respite also counts toward the waiver’s overall limit of $75,000 per person per ISP year, so it is planned together with the person’s other IFS services.

Hourly or daily, at home or away from home

DC’s waivers allow respite by the hour or by the day.

• Hourly respite happens in the person’s own home. A trained worker comes in while you take a few hours away.
• Daily respite can be in the person’s home or in another residential setting that meets DDS certification. Under the IDD Waiver, those settings include a Supported Living home of no more than three people or a Residential Habilitation home of no more than four (IDD Waiver, 2026).

On the IFS Waiver, people in DDS’s self-directed program, My Life, My Way, can also direct their own respite: the person or their representative hires and manages the worker, with help from a support broker (IFS Waiver, 2026; DDS IFS fact sheet).

How to ask for respite

1. Talk to your Service Coordinator. DC’s waivers make the DDA Service Coordinator responsible for telling you about all waiver services and offering you a choice of services and providers during planning. Say plainly that you, the caregiver, need regular breaks, and when.
2. Get it written into the ISP. Respite is approved through the ISP and Plan of Care. Ask whether hourly, daily or both fit your situation, and how many hours you need over the year.
3. Choose a provider. You choose the agency. Respite agencies must be certified by DDS, and every worker must be at least 18, pass a criminal background check, hold CPR and First Aid certification, and complete DDS training. The waiver also requires documentation that the person receiving support found each worker acceptable (IDD Waiver, 2026).
4. Ask again when things change. The person’s needs assessment is updated at least once a year and whenever their support needs change significantly, so a new diagnosis, a caregiver’s illness or a change at home is a reason to call your Service Coordinator before the annual meeting.

Not yet connected to DDA? Start with DDS Intake at 202-730-1700 (DDS: How to apply).

If you are waiting for the IDD Waiver

DC activated a waiting list for the IDD Waiver for fiscal year 2026. At the public hearing on the waiver change, DC said that a person who is eligible for DDA gets a Service Coordinator and an ISP, that only people who need services available solely in the IDD Waiver go on the waiting list, and that the team will otherwise help them find other resources, including the IFS Waiver. DC also said young people leaving school can get services through the IFS Waiver, and that the waiting list will be reduced and eliminated as resources allow (IDD Waiver, 2026).

That matters for respite, because respite is offered in both waivers. If your family member lives with you and does not need residential services, ask your Service Coordinator whether the IFS Waiver can cover respite while you wait. DDS has announced a waiting list only for the IDD Waiver, but its rules allow one for IFS too, so ask about current openings. Our guide to the IDD Waiver waitlist explains priority levels, notices and appeals.

Common questions

Is respite only for emergencies?

No. DC’s waivers describe respite for planned time away, such as a vacation, and for emergencies.

Can respite be used if my family member lives in a group home or Supported Living?

Not as a separate service. Respite is only for people who live in their own home or a family home, and the IDD Waiver does not offer it to people receiving Supported Living, Host Home or Residential Habilitation.

Can a teenager get respite through these waivers?

No. The IDD and IFS Waivers serve adults: the minimum age for both is 18.

Can we get more than 720 hours?

Only with DDS approval. The provider must send DDS a written justification describing a temporary emergency, why no other support is available, and a revised ISP.

Does the person keep going to their day program or school during respite?

They should. The waivers include community activities and transportation in respite so the person’s usual routine continues.

How Mercyland can help

Mercyland Healthcare is a DDS-certified provider in Washington, DC, with an office at 1817 West Virginia Ave NE. Mercyland provides hourly respite in the person’s home, alongside In-Home Supports and Companion services, for people whose ISP includes them. Availability depends on your waiver, your ISP and our staffing, so call us to talk it through.

To get started, visit Intake and Referrals or call 202-525-1563.

Last checked October 2026. Waiver rules and limits change, so confirm any detail with your Service Coordinator or DDS before you act on it. Links go to official DC sources.