Meet May’s Featured Respite Provider: Meghann Blakstad
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 May’s featured provider, Meghann Blakstad!
Meghann has been a respite provider for three years with La Crosse County and two years with FCC. We asked her a few questions about her experience with the respite program:
What made you want to apply to be a respite provider?
I started doing respite for a former student and it grew from there! When he no longer needed respite I decided to open my home to other children.
What is your favorite part of being a respite provider?
I love taking kids to do fun activities they may not normally do. We are a big “water” family, so in the summer and fall we go boating, swimming, and fishing a lot. The kids in our care are always asking to go on the boat and play at the beach!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I really enjoy reading, listening to live music, and watching my kids’ sporting events. I like to wakeboard and spend time on the water. I am a teacher so I live for summer break!
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 and April 2024.
