Respite is supportive care and supervision for a person under 21 who lives in the family home, while the primary caregiver is briefly away (planned or in an emergency) or is present but temporarily unable to provide care. It's billed by the quarter hour or, at 10 or more hours, the day rate; it runs through EVV; and relatives can deliver it only with APD regional approval. Adults 21 and older get respite through Personal Supports instead.
At a glance
- Who can receive it
- People under 21 living in the family home
- 21 and older?
- They get respite through Personal Supports instead
- Where
- The family home, the community, or a licensed group home, foster home or ALF
- Never
- In your home (Qlarant also excludes your relative's or friend's home)
- Ratio
- 1:1, 1:2 or 1:3
- Units
- Quarter hours (up to 96/day), or the day rate at 10+ hours
- EVV
- Required, with the same live-in exemptions as Personal Supports
Who can deliver it
The iBudget Handbook lists licensed residential facilities, licensed home health and hospice agencies, nurse registries, agencies that specialize in developmental disabilities, and solo providers. Staff hired since September 2020 need to be 18 or older with a high school diploma or GED and one year of relevant experience or the college substitute; solo nurses must hold a Florida nursing license. Training matches Personal Supports — the core set, iConnect and EVV training, plus medication administration or behavioral emergency procedures when needed.
Relatives can provide Respite only with APD regional office approval kept in both the provider's and the WSC's files, a written justification for using the relative, and payment only for specific services rendered. Reviewers check for that approval.
Skilled respite
When the person needs nursing-level care during respite, skilled respite requires a prescription from a physician, ARNP or PA and is paid at the LPN level: $7.09 per quarter hour 1:1 ($4.72 at 1:2) or $283.35 per day 1:1 ($188.89 at 1:2), the same across regions and solo or agency. Keep the prescription in the record.
Documentation and EVV
A service log for every date, entered in iConnect before billing. In the home, the EVV visit on the iConnect mobile site creates it — the same live-in caregiver exemptions as Personal Supports apply, and exempt providers still document in iConnect. Bill only hours of direct contact. Qlarant can review Respite logs right in iConnect. See APD EVV requirements for the exemption details.
Billing and rates
Quarter hours up to 96 a day, or the day rate once care reaches 10 hours (40 quarter hours) — whichever is more cost-effective. Note the threshold differs from Personal Supports, where the day rate starts above 8 hours. Transportation is included.
| Ratio | Palm Beach, Broward, Dade solo / agency | All other counties solo / agency | Monroe solo / agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | $5.92 / $6.23 | $5.92 / $6.23 | $5.92 / $6.23 |
| 1:2 | $3.40 / $3.59 | $3.37 / $3.56 | $3.75 / $3.96 |
| 1:3 | $2.84 / $2.96 | $2.81 / $2.93 | $3.09 / $3.27 |
| Ratio | Palm Beach, Broward, Dade solo / agency | All other counties solo / agency | Monroe solo / agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | $237.37 / $249.68 | $237.37 / $249.68 | $237.37 / $249.68 |
| 1:2 | $136.18 / $143.41 | $134.98 / $142.24 | $150.00 / $157.89 |
| 1:3 | $112.40 / $118.50 | $111.41 / $117.47 | $123.90 / $130.44 |
APD iBudget rates effective July 1, 2026. Every service and region is in the searchable rate table.
The 10 standards Qlarant scores
From Qlarant's Respite record review tool (version 5, July 2026). Unlike Personal Supports and Companion, it has no standards on goal progress, community participation, or rights. The September 2026 checklist asks for service logs, support plans, six months of payroll if you bill the agency rate, and evidence of health and choices.
- A complete service log for every billed date, with units matching claims — a day rate billed on fewer than 40 documented quarter hours is a discrepancy
- Approved authorizations covering the period at the correct rate
- The correct rate: solo vs. agency (backed by payroll), the right region, a group no larger than the authorization or three — and APD regional approval on file when a relative provides the service
- Services billed only after they were delivered
- The person was under 21 and living in the family home for the whole review period
- The right setting — never the provider's, a relative's or a friend's home
- The person's choices and preferences
- Physical health
- Behavioral and emotional health
- Varied logs — duplicates are acceptable only when the work is routine daily-living care or supervision
The two checks that catch Respite providers
Two Respite standards are pure eligibility: the person must be under 21 and living in the family home for the whole review period, and a relative provider needs regional approval on file. Both are easy to miss when a person turns 21 or moves. Waiversoft keeps each person's record, authorizations and documents together, with document expiration dates tracked, alongside the caregiver clock-in and visit notes — one place to check eligibility before a review does. For the other in-home services, see Companion (LSD 1).
Frequently asked questions
What is Respite in the APD iBudget waiver?
Supportive care and supervision for a person under 21 while their primary caregiver is briefly away — planned or in an emergency — or is present but temporarily physically unable to provide care. It's for people living in the family home.
When does the Respite day rate apply?
At 10 or more hours (40 quarter hours) in a day, the day rate is used; below that, quarter hours, up to 96 a day. Bill whichever is more cost-effective, and bill only hours of direct contact. Qlarant flags a day rate billed on fewer than 40 documented quarter hours as a billing discrepancy.
Can a relative provide Respite?
Only with APD regional office approval, kept in both your file and the WSC's, with justification for using the relative, and payment only for specific services rendered. Parents of minors, spouses and guardians can't be paid unless the person is in CDC+.
Can adults get Respite from APD?
Not under the Respite service, which is for people under 21. Adults 21 and older living in the family home get respite through Personal Supports.
Does Respite require EVV?
Yes. Respite is an EVV service in the home, with the same live-in caregiver exemptions as Personal Supports; exempt providers still document in iConnect. Qlarant can review Respite logs in iConnect instead of paper copies.