A Windsor woman is looking for some help from the government in the form of short relief for parents of high need adults.
Michelle Helou has started an online petition which is gaining speed quickly.
Helou has a 21-year-old severely autistic son and says when parents need a break there aren't many options and says it's a province wide issue.
"I want to bring some awareness to the Ontario government that there is a crisis," says Helou. "There are no out of home respite services where, if we do reach a crisis or we need a break, we need a weekend off, there's no place or safe environment to put them."
She says there's a major need for out of home respite care for adults with disabilities.
"Even for the long-term, the wait list is years if we have to place them somewhere," she says. "A safe environment, a group home, there's nothing there. There's an extremely long wait list and parents are aging."
Helou says parents are getting burnt out as most are providing 24-hour care for their children.
"Your mind is always at home. Do they need you or is everything alright? There's times where you just need to recharge your batteries and even if it's just a weekend away, that doesn't come easy for us."
Helou's petition has received more than 2,600 signatures since it was posted Monday.
— with files from AM800's Patty Handysides