Respite care provides parents and carers, many of whom provide round-the-clock support, with a break while children spend time at either a day centre or overnight facility.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to Manx Care asked how many children are waiting for respite care and how many places are available each week.
The request also sought details on daytime and overnight respite capacity, whether services are operating at full capacity and, if not, the reasons why places remain unfilled.
In response, Manx Care confirmed that Ramsey Respite Centre, which provides overnight care, currently has four children on its waiting list, while the Braddan Hub daytime service has a waiting list of 20.
A further 16 children are waiting for community outreach support.
In its FOI response, Manx Care said: ‘Services offered are based on the needs of the young people accessing them. Therefore, there is not a set amount of young people who can access sessions on any given day within Child and Families Short Breaks Services.
‘Ramsey Respite Centre, our overnight respite service, has eight beds. One of these bedrooms is the designated emergency bed while two beds are adapted for physical disabilities with profiling hospital beds.
‘Due to sensory needs and safe staffing levels, Ramsey Respite Centre cannot always run at full capacity.
‘Braddan Hub is similar in that it supports young people in the daytime and after school, with sessions matched to the sensory and care needs of the children.
‘Presently Ramsey Respite Centre is supporting 24 children and Braddan Hub supports 48 children.’