a Lifespan Respite Care system of direct service and propose approaches that will enable them to incrementally, over the course of the project period, increase the amount (percentage) of direct services they are providing. For many caregivers, respite, which is defined as the temporary relief from the ongoing responsibility of caring for an individual of any age with special needs, is often a critical component of the services and supports they need to continue to provide care. Numerous barriers exist that often make it difficult for caregivers to access respite. Since its implementation in 2009, the Lifespan Respite Care Program has sought to enable states to build systems of respite care that address the challenges and barriers, while making respite services more readily available to caregivers caring for individuals of any age. Under this new funding opportunity, grantees will be expected to focus on advancing their existing systems of respite care by proposing direct service activities that proactively expand the state's ability to provide respite and related supports to family caregivers across the lifespan. Grantees will be expected to build on advancements made under previous Lifespan Respite Care Program grants and focus on incrementally increasing the amount (percentage) of direct services they provide each year of their 3-year grant. Grantees will be expected to focus on providing all of the required services (and the optional services as deemed appropriate by the state) as outlined in the Lifespan Respite Care Act, as amended, doing so in ways that will ensure increased capacity to meet the objectives of the Act by the end of each grant year. Grantees will be expected to use some portion of their grant funds to provide direct respite services, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Grantees will also be expected to participate in all program-supported Technical Assistance activities and will be expected to meet with the ACL program officer on a regular basis to review grant activities and progress towards measurable goals. Successful applicants will be expected to propose measurable performance goals and objectives that tie directly to their identified direct service expansion goals over the course of the 5-year project.