EFMP Respite Care Upcoming Changes
The Navy’s Fleet and Family Support Program leads the way in taking care of Sailors and their families. We are making sure we have the personnel to cover taking care of our Sailors and their families at the right time and the right place with the support services they’ve earned.
The Navy's Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) serves Navy families with special needs. The EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program for sponsors with qualifying family members. Enrollment in the EFMP ensures service members are assigned only to those geographic areas where the medical (physical, developmental, and/or mental health) and/or educational needs of their family member(s) can be met.
The EFMP Respite Care Program for the Navy began in 2008, providing 40 hours per month per family. In May 2019, the Navy implemented a change whereby sibling care was no longer available after 31 December 2022.
The current EFMP Respite Care Program provides parents with 40 hours a month, allowing them to rest and rejuvenate while their child(ren) is well cared for.
The EFMP Respite Care Program is fully managed and executed through a contract via the Child and Youth Program (CYP) with ChildCare Aware of America (CCAoA).
CURRENT ELIGIBILITY
Active-duty families in the continental United States (plus Hawaii) who have an exceptional family member(s) aged 18 years old and younger with a category assignment of 4 or 5, are eligible to apply. The enrollment paperwork, DD Forms 2792 and 2792-1 as applicable, must remain current and NOT expired.
- Reservists must submit a copy of orders that denote at least 180 days to verify their status as active duty. They only remain eligible while on active duty.
- Sailors who are retiring remain eligible for a 60-day transition period after they retire as long as they continue to meet eligibility requirements.
- If a Sailor passes away while on active duty, the family will receive one additional year of respite care to allow for the family to transition.
- Exceptional family members (EFMs) aged 19 years and older, regardless of the category, are NOT eligible for the respite care benefit.
The Central Screening Committee (CSC), composed of medical professionals, utilizes the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) rubric to determine/assess an EFM’s category.
FUTURE ELIGIBILITY
The implementation of the new EFMP Respite Care Program will be administered using a phased approach in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2021 and the Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1315.19 (dated 23 June 2023).
PERS456 EFMP Branch medical screeners will reassess the sponsor's EFM’s enrollment package to determine eligibility for respite care using a standard rubric provided by the Office of Special Needs (OSN). The rubric will assess an EFM’s level of need (LON), number 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Sponsors who are currently utilizing the respite care benefit or are on the waiting list as of 30 September 2024 will continue with no changes to their respite care benefit until 30 September 2025.
Effective 1 October 2025, the new LON rubric will be in effect for all those previously enrolled.
Effective 1 October 2024, respite care eligibility for sponsors not previously enrolled in the EFMP Respite Care Program will be determined by using the newly implemented LON rubric.
- Sponsors who have EFMs assessed as LON3 will be eligible for up to 20 hours a month of respite care.
- Sponsors who have EFMs assessed as LON4 will be eligible for up to 32 hours a month of respite care.
* (Monthly hours are per family, NOT per EFM.)
Sponsors who are currently designated CAT 4 and 5 will receive a letter from the PERS456 EFMP Branch detailing the changes and providing the applicable timelines.
PERS456 EFMP Branch’s goal is to send the letter on or about 1 October 2024.
Full implementation of the EFMP Respite Care Program is expected on 1 October 2025
- All sponsors’ EFMs will have been assessed and designated a LON.
- The new monthly respite care hours will be in effect for all eligible EFMs (see under Future Eligibility).
- Sponsors whose EFMs are 19 years and older and who are a LON 3 or LON4 will be eligible for respite care beginning FY26.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is the reason for the standardization of the Exceptional Family Member Program, and what areas of the program were standardized?
A: Congressionally directed standardization; the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 directed standardization of EFMP to create consistency in the program across all military branches and installations. Military families with special medical and educational needs may experience changes in EFMP respite care services, EFMP Family Support, identification and enrollment, CONUS assignment coordination, and disenrollment. Standard processes and procedures will make it easier for service members and families to navigate the program and access the resources they need.
Q: How is respite care standardized across the services?
A: The EFMP respite care benefit is standardized in the following areas:
- Families are allotted a standard number of monthly respite care provider hours based on an age-specific Level of Need (LON) rubric that contains standard eligibility criteria.
- Adult dependents are now covered.
- Respite care hours may not be used for sibling care regardless of LON.
- External respite care does not affect the number of EFMP respite care hours available to a family.
Q: Why standardize EFMP Respite Care?
A: Historically, the military services coordinated their EFMP Respite Care Programs differently. This led to gaps in delivery, inconsistent availability of support, and varying family experiences. Standardization will reduce gaps between the services and ensure families are treated equitably.
Q: What is the process to determine whether a family is eligible for respite care?
A: An eligibility reviewer, otherwise known as a medical screener, will determine a family’s level of need for respite care by using an age-specific rubric. The reviewer will reference DD Forms 2792, 2792-1, and special education documentation, such as individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family services plan (IFSP) in the assessment for information on any medical or educational needs. Criteria for respite care are organized into categories such as activities of daily living, education, and behavior/safety. The assessment is meant to provide a comprehensive and holistic view of the dependent’s unique needs.
Q: Who is eligible for respite care services?
A: Families enrolled in EFMP with dependents who are scored at the two highest LON categories (LON3 or LON4) are eligible for EFMP respite care. In families with more than one dependent with a special medical or educational need, eligibility and total hours allocated are determined by the dependent with the highest LON score. Respite care is an EFMP benefit, not an entitlement.
Q: What support is available, and how do I request additional support?
A: Families with dependents who require more assistance with activities of daily living - categorized as LON3 or LON4 - will receive 20 or 32 hours of EFMP respite care per month, respectively. Impact on families due to changes to respite care services will vary by service branch. Families experiencing exceptional circumstances or temporary hardship may request additional respite care hours. Requests are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis by the military service. EFMP will review the request within 30 days and notify the family of the determination.
Q: What’s next, and will families currently receiving respite care experience a change in services?
A: All families currently receiving respite care through the Navy’s EFMP Respite Care Program will be re-evaluated using the new standard eligibility criteria based on the dependent's level of need. The timeline of re-evaluations will vary.
Q: What do I need to do if my family is currently receiving respite care?
A: Families are encouraged to review their EFMP enrollment forms (DD2792, DD2792-1, IEPs and/or IFSPs as applicable) to ensure they convey an accurate depiction of their exceptional family member’s specific needs.
Q: How do I request a review if my family is not currently receiving EFMP respite care?
A: If you have a dependent with disability-related needs and have not previously received respite care through EFMP, you may reach out to your local Fleet and Family Support office and ask to speak with an EFMP Case Liaison who will explain the process and provide further directions.
Q: When will updates to the EFMP Respite Care Program go into effect?
A: Respite care implementation will vary by each military service. The Navy’s anticipated timeline for full implementation of the standard number of hours is October 2025.
Q: What is the governing directive regarding the EFMP Respite Care Program?
A: Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 1319.15, Exceptional Family Member Program, 23 June 2023.
Q: If I am receiving 40 hours of respite care prior to 1 October 2024 and I must PCS or relocate, will I continue to be eligible for the same 40 hours at our new location up until 1 October 2025?
A: Yes, Sponsors who PCS move/relocate prior to 1 July 2025 (and receiving 40 hours of care) may apply for the EFMP Respite Care Program at their new location, under their previous status, and continue to be eligible for 40.0hrs of respite care until 1 October 2025. However, for Sponsors who PCS move/relocate after 1 July 2025 and apply for the EFMP Respite Care Program, eligibility will be based upon the NEW LON.
Q: If a family is found no longer eligible for Respite Care but is in dire need, what can they do?
A: The Sponsor can contact their local Fleet and Family Support Center and consult an EFMP Case Liaison for guidance on updating their exceptional family member’s (EFM) paperwork.
*** For more information on EFMP Respite Care changes, contact your installation's Fleet and Family Support Center HERE.
Updated 26 September 2024