Empowering Edmonton Families with Customized & Compassionate Respite Care

Entrust provides specialized Respite Care services in Edmonton and surrounding areas, offering caregivers essential breaks while ensuring quality support for individuals with special needs and disabilities (including autism and Down syndrome). Our special needs disability respite services help caregivers access the right mix of medical, physical, social, and behavioral supports for their family members. If you’re receiving funding under FSCD or PDD, book an initial consultation to explore your care options.

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Give Your Child Joyful Days: Explore At-Centre Respite Now!

Is your child aged 4-12 and funded through FSCD? Discover Entrust’s Centre for Supports, a vibrant and engaging at-centre respite option for children with developmental disabilities. Our programs provide a supportive environment for social inclusion, skill-building, and fun, all while giving you the short-term respite you need. Learn more about our Centre for Supports and how it can benefit your family.

Begin Your Respite Journey

Centre for Supports Respite

Usually with a 1:1 or 1:2 staffing ratio, this option includes a variety of programs such as after-school clubs, weekend activities, camps, and more. Great for supporting social inclusion and short-term respite for caregivers.

Entrust’s Centre for Supports now welcomes new children aged 4-12 with developmental disabilities! We provide a nurturing and engaging environment designed to meet the unique needs of this age group. If you have FSCD funding, this is an excellent option to explore.

Centre for Supports

Accredited by Alberta Council of Disability Services for providing supportive, personalized care to children on the spectrum.

Need ongoing respite care that helps you regain independence for yourself and social inclusion for your child or adult?

Our respite programs are one component of the range of supports you receive. Our priority is to make you feel comfortable, supported, and enabled to take the break you need. Do you have funding and you’re ready to organize respite care for your loved one?

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How Respite Care Services Work for Caregivers in Alberta

Respite services provide caregivers a planned break from primary care duties through in-home, out of home, and at-centre respite services.

Caregivers need time to rejuvenate and attend to obligations outside of special needs caregiving.

Specialized Care for Specific Conditions

Our Edmonton respite care team has extensive experience supporting individuals with:

  • Autism respite care – Sensory-aware environments and specialized autism support
  • Down syndrome respite care – Tailored programming for individuals with Down syndrome
  • Respite care for mentally disabled – Comprehensive support for cognitive disabilities
  • Emergency respite care – Crisis intervention and quick placement when families need urgent support

Entrust has a team of trained respite workers

Entrust has a team of trained respite workers, educators, and special needs healthcare professionals who collaborate with you to develop custom plans to achieve short and long-term goals.

Entrust provides group homes throughout Edmonton city limits and surrounding areas, including Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Leduc, Nisku, Beaumont, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and St-Albert.

Centre for Supports Respite

Usually with a 1:1 or 1:2 staffing ratio, this option includes a variety of programs such as after-school clubs, weekend activities, camps, and more. Great for supporting social inclusion and short-term respite for caregivers.

Centre for Supports

Entrust Disability Services Edmonton: Your Family’s Respite Support System

Being a caregiver is hard. Perhaps you’re a sole caregiver who needs a break, or you’re a parent who wants to spend quality time with their other children.

Perhaps you need to get some life admin done, want to stretch yourself in your career more, or just need some space to recover from burnout. Whatever the reason, Entrust will look after your loved one with care, diligence, and compassion.

Quick Start Times

We understand the urgency. With Entrust, expect services to begin within 2 to 8 weeks, tailored to your needs.

Specialized Support

We pair your loved one with specialists who truly meet their needs, ensuring they thrive during their time with us.

Transparent Costs & Services

With us, you’ll always know the costs and service levels upfront. No surprises, just clarity.

Consistent Routine

We maintain your loved one’s routine, ensuring any changes are communicated with a two-week notice.

Respite Accreditation

Proudly holding the CET Level II accreditation for 8 years with a 100% score, we’re committed to top-tier respite care for all ages and needs.

How Caregivers Benefit from Respite Services

Beginning your journey with Entrust starts by filling out our contact form, and we’ll take the first step towards understanding your needs by matching you with the right specialists. To ensure a perfect fit, we offer the option of personalized meetings, either through home visits or orientations at our center. Within just 2-3 months, we’ll have everything in place for you, smoothly transitioning you into our care.

Daytime Supports

Our services enable parents to confidently return to work, knowing their loved ones are in safe hands.

Emergency Response Capabilities

Our emergency respite care services provide quick support for families in crisis, with specialized protocols for autism, Down syndrome, and mentally disabled individuals.

Positive Family Impact

Our interventions have helped keep families together, allowing more quality time with siblings and reducing the need for external family services.

Adaptive Goals and Expectations

From intake through ongoing care, we focus on health, happiness, and skill development, including language skills and eating habits.

Varied Short-term Goals

Catering to immediate needs like basic care, toileting, and learning to tie shoes.

Ambitious Long-term Goals

Aiming for reintegration into regular programs, long-term care with Entrust, independence, community access, and inclusion.

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Meet Our Edmonton Management Team

Gagan Grewal Program Manager

Gagan Grewal

PROGRAM MANAGER

Gagan holds a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on Human Development and Family Studies. She discovered Entrust at a job fair and unexpectedly developed a deep passion for supporting individuals with disabilities through the organization. She is now a strong advocate for her clients. Gagan started as an Assistant Manager with Entrust and has since shifted from a Service Manager to a Program Manager position. She enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering in her spare time.

Riaz Noor Program Manager

Riaz Noor

PROGRAM MANAGER

Riaz joined Entrust in 2024 and brings over 12 years of leadership experience to his role. With an MBA in Human Resources Management, Riaz has a strong foundation in business operations and team development. What drew him to Entrust was its empowering culture and the respect shown to both staff and individuals served. 

Riaz is driven by the leadership and collaboration he experiences daily at Entrust. He believes in practicing inclusion, dignity, and compassion in every aspect of care. Outside of work, he’s passionate about nature and finds joy in cleaning and organizing—his go-to method for recharging. 

Victoria Beer Program Manager, Respite Services

Victoria Beer

PROGRAM MANAGER, RESPITE SERVICES 

Victoria holds a B.A. in English and Psychology, an after-degree and M.A. in Behaviour Analysis, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She joined Entrust in September 2024 and leads operations at the Centre for Supports.

Blending clinical expertise with creativity, Victoria brings a joyful, person-led approach to holistic care. She has developed policy manuals, expanded intake services, and supported cross-departmental projects in marketing and training.

Her work is rooted in structure, empathy, and play—ensuring clients feel both supported and empowered.

Outside of work, Victoria enjoys writing fiction, working with animals, and playing music. A lifelong learner and farm enthusiast, she brings heart and imagination to everything she does.

Rory LaRocque-Walker Director of Operations

Rory LaRocque-Walker

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Rory’s journey with Entrust began in 2011. With the knowledge, skills and experience acquired through completing his Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta, as well as brief career as a professional educator, Rory created and continues to lead the Community Access Supports Program. Rory is passionate about acknowledging and honoring the unique needs of each individual and providing a framework around them. He believes this framework should respect each person’s limitations while favouring their strengths, interests and abilities.

Who Pays for Respite Care in Edmonton?

For those not receiving aid from established programs like Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD), Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), or support from Edmonton Public Schools, our services are available for a fee.

Individuals or their families paying for these services themselves may be eligible to deduct these expenses as medical or attendant care costs on their income tax returns. We advise seeking advice from a qualified tax expert for more details.

At Entrust, we offer competitive rates in Edmonton tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual, ensuring accessible and personalized care.

Alberta Disability Funding Can Help You Secure Respite Support

Discover steps to apply for disability programs in Alberta. From meeting eligibility to gathering relevant documents, know how to get approved for the support you need.

How to Apply for Disability Funding

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We encourage you to contact us. All inquiries are welcome!

Looking to apply to work for Entrust? See our current career openings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I pay for respite care?

Paying for our respite care services is flexible and can be achieved through multiple avenues. Funding options include support from organizations like Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD), Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA),. Alternatively, if you choose to privately fund the care, we ensure you receive the same high-quality care at competitive rates, providing you with valuable and accessible options for your respite care needs.

How many hours of respite care are you allowed?

Respite care hours depend on your contract with PDD and/or FSCD, and are assigned based on the assessment process with the funding body and dependent on each family’s unique needs.

Do you provide emergency respite care for autism and Down syndrome?

Yes, Entrust offers emergency respite care in Edmonton for individuals with autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. Our emergency respite services can be activated for crisis situations, ensuring mentally disabled individuals receive quick, specialized care when families need urgent support.

What is the cost of respite care in Edmonton?

Special needs Respite care in Edmonton can costs vary depending on the type and length of care required for the client: read our full blog on respite care service costs to learn more.

Key takeaways about respite care
  • Respite care services in Edmonton provide caregivers with planned breaks from primary care duties through in-home, out-of-home, and at-centre options so they can rejuvenate and attend to other obligations.
  • Entrust Disability Services offers three main respite support options, including Centre for Supports Respite with 1:1 or 1:2 staffing ratios.
  • Caregivers benefit from respite services through daytime support that allows them to return to work, positive family impact that keeps families together, and both short-term and long-term goal setting for their loved ones.
  • Entrust Disability Services has held the CET Level II accreditation for 8 years with a 100% score, demonstrating their commitment to providing top-tier respite care for all ages and needs.
  • The service areas for Entrust include Edmonton city limits and surrounding areas such as Fort Saskatchewan, Sherwood Park, Leduc, Nisku, Beaumont, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and St-Albert.
  • Funding for respite care can come from established programs like Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD), Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD), or Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH).
  • The respite care journey with Entrust begins by filling out their contact form, followed by personalized meetings through home visits or orientations, and then transitions to full care within 2-3 months.