Respite Care for Caregivers in Colorado Springs
Respite Care for Caregivers in Colorado Springs: You Cannot Pour from an Empty Cup
Caring for a child or loved one with a disability is one of the most profound, demanding, and love-filled things a person can do. It requires your attention, your patience, your energy, and your heart — every single day, often without a pause.
And it takes a toll.
Caregiver burnout is not a personal failure. It is a predictable, well-documented response to the sustained, high-stakes work of supporting someone who depends on you completely. It affects physical health, mental well-being, relationships, and — critically — the quality of care you are able to provide.
At Zach’s Place at the Laurie Hillyard Family Center in Colorado Springs, we have supported families through exactly this reality since 1998. Respite care is not a luxury we offer — it is a lifeline we have built our mission around.
What Is Caregiver Burnout — and Why Does It Happen?
Caregiver burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that develops when a caregiver does not receive adequate support or relief over time. It is more common among caregivers of individuals with disabilities than in almost any other caregiving context — because the demands are often higher, the breaks are fewer, and the support systems are harder to find.
The signs of caregiver burnout include:
- Persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
- Withdrawal from friends, family, and activities you once enjoyed
- Feeling hopeless, helpless, or resentful — emotions that then generate guilt
- Declining physical health: more frequent illness, headaches, difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Emotional numbness or increased irritability toward the person in your care
If any of these feel familiar, you are not alone — and you are not failing. You are a caregiver who needs support, just like the person you care for.
Why Respite Care Is Not Selfish — It Is Essential
Many caregivers resist asking for help. There is often a quiet, persistent voice that says: if I need a break, I must not love them enough. That voice is wrong.
Respite care — planned, temporary relief for caregivers — has been shown to:
- Reduce caregiver stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Improve the quality of care provided to the individual with a disability
- Strengthen family relationships by reducing tension and resentment
- Allow caregivers to maintain employment, health appointments, and personal relationships
- Extend the length of time a caregiver can sustainably provide care at home
Taking a break is not abandoning your loved one. It is preserving your ability to be there for them — not just today, but for the months and years ahead.
How Zach’s Place Provides Respite Care in Colorado Springs
Zach’s Place is a licensed nonprofit child care and respite center serving children with disabilities and their families in the Pikes Peak Region. We provide care for children ages 2.5–18, and we have been doing it continuously since 1998.
Our respite services give caregivers real, meaningful time away — knowing their child is in the hands of trained, compassionate staff who understand how to provide individualized support in a safe, structured, and enriching environment.
What Happens While You’re Away
While you take the break you need, your child is not simply being watched — they are being cared for in the full sense of the word. A typical session at Zach’s Place might include:
- Structured activities and creative play tailored to your child’s interests and needs
- Life skills practice — meal preparation, personal hygiene, cooperative activities
- Outdoor time, physical movement, and sensory-friendly environments
- Social interaction with peers in our inclusive classroom setting
- Community outings to Colorado Springs destinations like the YMCA, Garden of the Gods, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
- Participation in our Gardens Grow therapeutic gardening program
Children who attend Zach’s Place regularly do not just tolerate their time there — they look forward to it. That matters, because it matters to you.
Flexible Scheduling Built Around Real Family Needs
Respite care is only useful if it actually fits into a caregiver’s life. We offer:
- Weekend care for caregivers who work, have appointments, or simply need time
- Before- and after-school care to support working caregivers during the school year
- Summer programming to bridge the long gap when school is out
- Full-day and part-day scheduling options
Our doors are open Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. For families who need weekend respite, we encourage you to contact us directly to discuss availability.
Trained Staff Who Understand Your Child
Every member of our team receives specialized training in supporting children with a wide range of disabilities and developmental needs. We have an RN on staff and work closely with families during the intake process to understand each child’s specific needs, communication style, behavioral considerations, and care requirements.
When you leave your child with us, you are not handing them off to a stranger. You are placing them with a team that has taken the time to know them.
Sliding-Fee Scale: Respite Care That’s Accessible to Every Family
One of the most common barriers to respite care is cost. At Zach’s Place, we believe that a family’s financial situation should never determine whether they can access the support they need.
Our sliding-fee scale adjusts the cost of care based on household income. Rates can be as low as $9 per hour for qualifying families — a fraction of what private respite care typically costs in Colorado Springs. Our ability to offer these rates is made possible by the generosity of foundation grants, individual donors, and community sponsors who believe, as we do, that every family deserves support.
No family is ever turned away from Zach’s Place because of an inability to pay.
A Note to Caregivers Who Are Struggling Right Now
If you are reading this from a place of exhaustion — if the weight of what you carry has become genuinely hard to hold — please know that reaching out is not weakness. It is the act of a caregiver who loves someone enough to recognize that they need to take care of themselves too.
Zach’s Place has walked alongside Colorado Springs families in exactly your position for more than 25 years. We understand the complexity, the love, and the weight of what you carry. And we are here.
Contact Zach’s Place to Learn More About Respite Services
If you are a caregiver in Colorado Springs caring for a child with a disability, we invite you to call us, schedule a visit, or simply reach out to have a conversation about what support might look like for your family. There is no obligation — just a team of people who want to help.
📞 Call us: 719-447-8983 | 📍 4795 Granby Cir, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
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FAQs about SKSF Child Care in Colorado Springs
During the intake process, we’ll ask for your child’s health records including current immunizations and a recent physical exam, any relevant care plans or IEP documents, emergency contact information, and details about your child’s needs, preferences, and daily routines. This helps us prepare to provide the most supportive experience possible from your child’s very first day.
Yes. Zach’s Place is specifically designed and staffed to support children with a wide range of developmental needs, including autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities. We are the only licensed child care facility in the Pikes Peak Region that specializes in care for children with disabilities alongside their typically developing peers. Our team works with each family to understand their child’s individual needs before enrollment.
Childcare providers often encounter barriers like negative attitudes towards disabilities, limited access to adequately trained staff, and coordination difficulties between early intervention specialists and childcare teams. These challenges can hinder the creation of truly inclusive environments that effectively support children with diverse needs in Colorado Springs.
Zach’s Place serves children ages 2.5 to 18 in various programs. Our preschool programming focuses on early childhood development and kindergarten readiness for preschool-aged children.
Zach’s Place serves children ages 2.5–18 with a wide range of disabilities and developmental needs, including autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and more. We also welcome typically developing children in our inclusive setting. The best way to find out if we’re a good fit is to schedule a tour and intake conversation — we’ll learn about your child’s specific needs and be honest about how we can support them.
Yes. In addition to our sliding-fee scale, Colorado families may qualify for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP), child care tax credits, and free preschool hours through Colorado’s UPK program. Our team can help connect you with information on any of these options during your intake visit.
An inclusive preschool brings together children of all abilities in one shared learning environment. Children learn alongside peers with diverse strengths and learning styles, helping them develop communication skills, empathy, confidence, and cooperation in a natural classroom setting.
Zach’s Place serves children ages 2.5 through 18, making us one of the few child care and respite programs in the Colorado Springs area that supports children across such a broad age range. This includes school-age children who need care before and after the school day as well as children who require specialized support during those hours.
Our staff are trained to support children across a broad range of developmental profiles in an inclusive classroom environment. Activities are thoughtfully adapted so that children with and without disabilities can participate together, each benefiting from the interaction. We maintain small group sizes, have an RN on staff, and coordinate closely with families to ensure each child’s individual needs are met throughout the day.
Most experts recommend starting a structured preschool or kindergarten readiness program at age 3 or 4. In Colorado, the Universal Pre-K (UPK) program is specifically designed for children in the year before kindergarten — typically age 4. Children with developmental needs or IEPs may access services earlier. Contact us to discuss the best timing for your child.
