More than forty percent of families with a child with special needs report experiencing significant financial stress. Thirty percent of parents of children with disabilities quit their jobs or significantly cut back in order to provide care for their child. This isn’t anything new to those of you who are experiencing this. However, how do you balance the challenges of caring for your child as well as paying all the bills sufficiently?
That is the big question for most parents.
Because staying at home doesn’t just mean that you are baking cookies and playing patty-cake. It means you’re on the phone arguing with your insurance company about getting services, attending multiple meetings about school, and transporting your child from speech therapy to doctor appointments. And because the service system for kids with disabilities is not as well defined, there’s not as much appropriate treatment available, and what is available needs to be fought for.
Experts say that caring for a child with special needs is like running a fulltime business—it requires at least one person who is dedicating a continual effort. And while some of you have been able to return to the workforce, most of the time, it's not possible.
And so, what is the solution? Can you get paid to stay at home to care for your child?
This is a complicated question and the answer varies depending on your circumstances. Yet as parents of a child with special needs, you are entitled to certain rights. But often figuring out what you are entitled to is difficult and overwhelming to say the least. The first thing you want to do is contact your regional center for help and resources.
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (626) 299-4700
Frank D Lanterman Regional Center (213) 383-1300
Harbor Regional Center (310) 540-1711
North Los Angeles Regional Center (818) 778-1900
South Central L.A. Regional Center (213) 744-7000
Westside Regional Center (310) 258-4000
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center (909) 620-7722
Inland Regional Center (909) 890-3000
San Diego Regional Center (858) 576-2996
Regional Center of Orange County (714) 796-5100
American Disability Association (ADA) is dedicated to the wellbeing and protection of children with disabilities and actively provides support to enhance their quality of life.
Whether you are dealing with federal or state benefits or struggling with a school district to get proper education for your child, we have the resources to help you.
Many individuals and families managing a disability are not aware of the wide array of services available to them, or they do not know how to apply for these benefits in a way that is likely to succeed.
Contact us for a FREE evaluation today