Family caregivers of children with
disabilities may not be aware of the full range of services for children in their
state. Besides non-profit and disability
specific organizations such as Parent Training and Information Centers,
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, and Parent-to-Parent support,
there are various departments in state government serving children with special
needs and their families.
Department of
Children & Families
In some states, families are fortunate
to have a department specifically for children.
In these states, most if not all services (usually excluding education) fall
under this umbrella organization. Some
of these services are Child Protection, Children’s System of Care (mental
health), etc. The Administration for
Children and Families has a section for parents on finding help at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/help-for-parents
Department of
Education
The Department of Education is a key
resource for families who may have children in special education including
those who are included in general education classes. Many departments have information on
education processes and forms such as IEPs (Individual Education Plans),
parental rights, policies affecting education, and so on. A listing of state offices of education and
special education is available from the U.S. Department of Education at http://www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html
This is another important area for families of children with disabilities and special health care needs. Here they will find resources on health coverage, disability specific information, evaluation centers, and dental care which is essential for overall health. A list of state health departments is available from Health Finder at http://healthfinder.gov/FindServices/SearchOrgType.aspx?OrgTypeID=8. There is also a list of health topics on the homepage for specific conditions.
Department of
Human Services
Lastly, Human Services will have links
to actual services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, help
paying for medical bills, home modification, and transportation. State Departments of Human Services can also
be found on the HealthFinder link above.
There may be other departments in each state helping children and their families. Not all services are the same in every state. Parents need to find out what is available in their state and if there are free or low cost services. Families of children with disabilities can get various services, sometimes free, from the various departments or divisions in their state government. Parents can help their child with special needs to maximize their potential by accessing these services.
Resources:
List
of State Government websites
Sample
of State Departments with Descriptions-NJ
http://www.spanadvocacy.org/sites/g/files/g524681/f/files/NJ%20organizational%20chart%20-revised.pdf
Remain Hopeful,
Lauren
Lauren Agoratus is a parent/advocate
who works for the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network and serves as the NJ
Coordinator for Family Voices (www.spanadvocacy.org), a national network that works to “keep families at the center
of children’s healthcare” at www.familyvoices.org
or
FB www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Voices-Inc-National/137783182902269. She also serves as NJ representative
supporting caregivers across the lifespan for the Caregiver Action Network
(formerly National Family Caregivers Association) in a volunteer capacity at http://caregiveraction.org/
or
FB www.facebook.com/CaregiverActionNetwork.
