The New Zealand Ministry of Health’s disability respite strategy, Transforming Respite, will make it easier for carers of disabled people to have a break from their caring responsibilities.

Transforming respite sets the future direction for improving disability respite support. Changes to the respite model will include:

• offering disabled people and their families/whānau a flexible respite budget that they can use to take breaks in the ways that suit them best
• increasing the range of quality respite options available – this includes the development of new and expanded respite services
• recognising the value of respite and taking a lifelong approach to allocation and funding
• making the administration and payment methods easier
• providing better access to information about respite and support to find and use the respite options available.

The strategy responds directly to what disabled people and their families/whānau told us about their aspirations for the future.