Respite services for parents
Caring for your own child can be very stressful. In the event that you are ill yourself or want to take a vacation, there are various ways to get support. Many respite services are aimed at parents who want or need to take time off. Some offers can be used by the whole family.
Are you ill, do you need time off or do you have a private or professional appointment? In these cases, you can make use of substitute care. If you need a private or professional carer to look after your child for a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 28 days, you will receive a financial allowance from the federal government. This is already possible from care level 1.
You can find more information under the following Link:
Info service of the Ministry of Social Affairs - Respite services
The following describes some of the offers for relief that you can access via the link below. Information service of the Ministry of Social Affairs can search for.
A stay at the Rappottenstein children's castle in Lower Austria gives you time and space to regain energy and strength. The offer is aimed at families with chronically ill or seriously ill children or relatives. For all those who want to leave everyday life behind them for a while or need to come to terms with their grief after the death of a close family member, this is the perfect place to relax. Further information can be found, for example, on the Website of the Info Service of the Ministry of Social Affairs. Enter the search term "Kinderburg Rappottenstein" in the search field on the Website of the Infoservice.
In Vienna and Lower Austria, the Malteser Care supports children and young people suffering from serious chronic illnesses or disabilities. 24-hour care is organized and supported by the respective social services department in the federal state. Ask the social services department in your federal state. You can find more information about the organization's support services on the information service platform of the Ministry of Social Affairs by searching for "Malteser Care".
Vienna has leisure facilities for children and young people with and without disabilities. You can find two different offers, for example, on the Website of the Infoservice. For more information on the individual offers, enter the term "Aktionsraum" or "Spielothek" in the search field.
The national association for Children's Cancer Aid offers island camps for children and young people who have been ill. There are also offers for parents to gather strength and recharge their batteries after a difficult time. The offers can be used on the Sonneninsel, a facility on Lake Wallersee in Salzburg. For more information on the offers and dates, click on the Website of the Info Service of the Ministry of Social Affairs and then search for the term "Kinderkrebshilfe".
Under the following Link you can search for the relevant offer using the search function:
Further relief services
Last update: July 31, 2025
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