During this opening session, conference cohosts, Jill Kagan, Director of the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center and Lisa Schneider, Respite Care Association of Wisconsin offered welcome remarks. Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Designee, Karen Timberlake, offered opening remarks, followed by a welcome video from U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

Radio Magic 98 host Pat Gallagher interviewed a panel from Padres E Hijos En Accion in Madison, WI. Padres is a grassroots organization of individuals with disabilities, their families, friends and community members building fulfilling and community-centered lives for Latino children. Guests included Hector Portillo, Executive Director, and members of his team who shared their perspectives on reducing barriers to respite services for this population.

Keynote Speaker, Charlotte Deleste, News Anchor, Madison WISC-TV; Founder and Vice President, Gio’s Garden Therapeutic Respite Center, Madison, WI

The Seed of Despair Can Grow a Garden of Hope

The State of Wisconsin told Charlotte Deleste that her son wasn’t disabled enough. Despite suffering every minute of every day with 80 to more than 100 seizures, he didn’t qualify for a personal care worker. The feeling of despair sparked Deleste, her husband, and other special needs parents to dream something into reality that has helped more than 300 families with special needs children in Dane County. Charlotte Deleste shares Gio’s story – how he inspired his mother to “Do Something Good” and create Gio’s Garden Therapeutic Respite Care Center in Middleton, WI.

Recognition of ARCH’s 2022 Innovative and Exemplary Respite Services

Following her keynote presentation, Ms. Deleste was joined by Casandra Firman from ARCH to recognize ARCH’s 2022 Innovative and Exemplary Respite Services. These respite services were selected from a national pool of applicants. Each recognized service met a stringent set of criteria for selection and all have outstanding programs that address the needs of family caregivers of children, adults and/or older adult family members. Gio’s Garden, founded in 2012 by Ms. Deleste to honor her son with a disability, was recognized by ARCH as an Innovative and Exemplary Respite Service in 2019.