It means families can provide accommodation and support in a home environment, relieving the state of much of the cost that would be incurred if their child was permanently in an institution.

The work done by family caregivers, while usually unheralded and almost always unremarked, saves tax payers tens of millions of dollars annually and is arguably the best example of a true "labour of love" imaginable.

All the carers ask is that from time to time they have overnight respite from the high level of responsibility that comes with such a commitment.

This gives them precious time out most families take for granted and often means other children can also get much needed special attention.

While respite care, which involves placing the person with a disability with services such as the ACT's Marymead, is not cheap, it is far less expensive than having clients permanently in full time care.

That was the option a number of Canberra families were considering earlier this year when, as a result of the NDIS's funding policies, Marymead announced it had no choice but to axe its NDIS-funded respite care places for children with "special needs".

This affected about 80 families; 70 per cent of the 120 families registered with Marymead for this when the NDIS came on line.

Some family members told Fairfax that without a regular break to look forward to it would be impossible for them to look after their children at home on a permanent basis.

The problem was that under the NDIS, Marymead was only being funded $501 a night for respite care placements.

This fell well short of the actual costs of care for clients, especially those with special needs, and failed to take into account shift allowances and the like. Respite care, not surprisingly, is frequently sought on weekends.

While it is good to learn the NDIS has come up with a quick fix to the local problem, authorising extra payments over the next six months to allow Marymead to charge a more realistic fee for its service, the reality is this is just a band-aid.

The underlying problem is not about to go away and could well become worse as the NDIS is rolled out across more areas.

While, as The Canberra Times has noted before, there is much to commend about the NDIS, its roll out has been less than successful in many respects and has led to numerous unintended consequences.

Or, as a Productivity Commission position paper released in June found: "the speed of the NDIS roll out... has put the scheme's success and financial sustainability at risk".

Long-term solutions, based on experience, client needs, and administrative flexibility are what is needed. One-off, short-term patches are not good enough.