Families of disabled children, especially single parents, are trapped in a cycle of extreme poverty in our nation.

Currently, there is a paid parent provider program only available for children ages 18 and over who have severe disabilities. Families of children who are under the age of 18 have to sacrifice careers in order to stay home and provide in-home nursing care for their disabled child(ren). These families often find no alternative other than living off of government assistance. This traps them in a vicious cycle of poverty that is impossible to escape from. These families want to work, but the nursing hours available to them for respite care for their children cannot be used for employment purposes. This puts families in a position of remaining unemployed, yet still working around the clock providing nursing care for their sick children. Not only do they have to care for the needs of these children, they also have to worry about how they are just going to afford the basic costs of living.

I am a single mother of four children. Three of my children have life-threatening disabilities. For years we have been living in destitute poverty, sometimes even homelessness, trying to make it by on government assistance. There is currently no provision allowing me, or other families in the same situation, to be trained and paid providers for the nursing care our vulnerable children need.

In the state of Colorado, for example, parents are trained to be CNA care providers for their own disabled children of ANY age. This has relieved the burden on the state as well as these families who are able to provide for their own and no longer have to rely on government assistance. The children also get better care because no one knows the needs of these beautiful children more than their own parent. The families are then able to get into better living conditions, pay for their own food and utility costs, and ultimately rise out of the embarrassing and devastating bonds of poverty.

I am petitioning the government to change the law and allow parents of children under the age of 18 to be paid providers for their disabled children. Please help us escape from poverty. Our children are already vunerable, and they deserve better than this!