If your child has a disability like autism, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy, and you live in the state of California, you may be eligible to receive benefits such as In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). This funding can be used to meet your child’s daily needs and can help pay the expenses associated with his or her disability. But what if you already get financial benefits such as SSI? Will IHSS affect your SSI? (more…)
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) can be very helpful if you live in California and are struggling financially to raise a child who has autism, Down syndrome, or another type of developmental disability. This program in California can allow you to be paid up to $3,000 a month as your child’s caregiver. But what if you’ve applied and have been denied IHSS? How do you file an appeal with IHSS?
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Raising a child with Down syndrome can be difficult financially. You have to work and pay the bills, but your child needs constant care. How do you juggle all the responsibilities? In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), a California program, may be able to assist you with the resources you need. It provides the disabled, blind, those with limited income or over the age of 65 with in–home care services to help them remain safely at home. But how do you apply for IHSS for your child with Down syndrome?
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In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a program for residents of California that provides financial assistance so you, as your child’s caretaker, can give the best supervision and care for your child in the comfort of your own home. This means that you can receive an hourly wage to take care of your child. Part of the qualification process for IHSS is the Home Interview. But how do plan for your IHSS Home Interview?
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If you are a parent of a child with special needs and you live in California, In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS) provides financial support to enable you to stay at home with your child with special needs. Children with autism, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy can often take a heavy financial toll on a family. It is common for you to have to stop working in order to take care of your child. Disability benefits such as In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) allows you to be employed as your child’s in-home caretaker. And if you already have this program, read on to find out how to get more IHSS hours.
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Raising children is expensive and raising children with autism can be more expensive. Couple this with the fact that as a parent of a child with special needs, you sometimes have to give up work to care for your child. If you are struggling financially, you may be eligible to receive benefits such as In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS). This funding can be used to meet your child’s daily needs and can help pay the expenses associated with her disability. But, how much does a child with autism get from IHSS? (more…)
Caring for your child with autism is difficult even in the best of times. If you are struggling financially, it can be even tougher. It is estimated that it costs a family $1.4 million to $2.5 million to raise a child with autism. Furthermore, many parents cannot work full-time because their child with autism needs round-the-clock care. But can you get paid to stay home with your child with autism?
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If your child has autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or another disability, she may be eligible for special education services. But what if, after your child has been evaluated, you do not agree with the decision? If you cannot resolve the dispute by talking through the disagreement, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides a formal way to make a complaint against the school. It is called “due process.”
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Have you tried to get In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) for your child with special needs, but you’ve been denied? When you are a parent of a child with a disability like autism or Down syndrome, an IHSS denial can be stressful. You know you need financial help to take care of your child who needs supervision 24 hours a day. You’ve had to cut your hours or you can't work at all because you have to stay home.
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Having a child with special needs usually comes with more expenses. And if you are already struggling financially, deciding to spend money on a service for your child with autism means that you won’t be able to spend money on something else for your family.
Sound familiar? This situation is very common for families dealing with autism: they battle the challenges in quiet desperation. Most do not realize they could qualify for thousands of dollars a year through programs like In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS).
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
Programs such as In-Home Support Services (IHSS) can relieve some of the stress on your family by providing funding that your child with autism may need in order to continue living at home. Within IHSS, there is a more intensive service called Protective Supervision. The Protective Supervision service is for children living with autism who need constant observation 24 hours per day to protect them from injuries, hazards, or accidents. Many of the behaviors that can cause injury, hazards or accidents in children with autism are wandering, eloping, darting away, or climbing.
Eligibility for IHSS
In order to be eligible for IHSS or to access the Home and Community Based services funding of the Regional Center system, you must apply for and obtain Medi-Cal eligibility (Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid system). Medi-Cal eligibility has three common linkage options:
1. Income based eligibility for low income families or children through Covered California
2. SSI eligibility which provides Medi-Cal linkage automatically, or
3. DDS waiver also known as “Institutional Deeming.” Many children with autism will qualify for the non-income based Medi-Cal, which may be available regardless of family income
How to Apply for IHSS
You must complete an IHSS application to apply for the program. As part of the application process, there are many pieces of documentation that will need to be submitted accurately, such as a medical certification form and similar forms.
Once IHSS receives your application, a caseworker will be assigned to conduct a needs assessment. During the needs assessment, the caseworker will come into your home and ask you questions about your child with Down syndrome’s physical and mental capacity in order to determine what he or she can and cannot do. Your living situation will also be evaluated. After the needs assessment, the IHSS caseworker will contact you and let you know if you have been approved or denied the service.
If you feel overwhelmed and you need help, please contact us.
American Advocacy group is on the front lines every day, making positive change happen for people diagnosed with Autism, Down syndrome and a range of diagnoses across the continuum. As a leading advocate for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, and the premier provider of the support and services people want and need, we understand the system and know how to take action in regard to your best interests.
CONTACT US FOR HELP.
Dial (877) 762-0702 or email us at info@americanadvocacygroup.com.