Meet December’s Featured Respite Provider: Amy Jandt
Respite Providers are a vital part of caring for children and youth aged birth to 18 experiencing behavioral, emotional, medical, and/or physical challenges. This program is designed to meet specific individual and family needs while maintaining collaboration with other service providers and legal guardians. This valuable service provides families of special needs children the opportunity to balance the many challenges of life. The breaks provided allow family members time to meet their other vital family needs. Providers can be couples, single persons, or families.
As part of an ongoing series, FCC would like to introduce you to December’s featured provider, Amy Jandt!
We asked her a few questions about her experience with the respite program:
How long have you been a respite provider?
My husband and I decided to start doing respite care in July of 2023. So a year and a half! Yes! My husband also provides respite care!
What made you want to apply to be a respite provider?
The desire to share love with our local families and community. I love helping kids and families thrive to be the best version of themselves that they can be. It takes a village to raise kids, I want families to know, we are here for them and they have support!
What is your favorite part of being a respite provider?
It’s the building of relationships for me. There is something so rewarding about meeting a new family, and developing close relationships with them that provides such a sense of value. I didn’t realize, when I signed up, the difference and impact it would make on the kids and parents alike. Not to mention, the impact these families have had on myself and my own family. There have been families that have become like family to us over the last year and a half. I wouldn’t want to change this experience for anything!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, you can find me at the dance studio teaching or taking classes, reading a good book, snuggling my pug Daisy, Cooking good food with my husband, playing video games with my son, hanging out with my adult children, camping, or traveling! If there is an opportunity to pet or swim with animals you can count me in! If I had it my way, I would never leave my in law’s boathouse and live happily ever after by the water.
You can help support children and parents by becoming a respite provider today. For more information please contact Kelli Degenhardt at (608) 668-2229 or kdegenhardt@fccnetwork.org.
Learn more about FCC’s community respite program here: https://www.fcconline.org/service/community-respite/.
View more provider highlights from May 2023, June 2023, July 2023, August 2023, September 2023, October 2023, November 2023, February 2024, March 2024, April 2024, May 2024 and October 2024.
