Twelve states (Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin) allow these state-funded programs to pay any relatives, including spouses, parents of minor children, and other legally responsible relatives.

• As a parent of a disabled child, I find myself in a different type of situation regarding childcare that I believe needs to be brought to attention. My son is severely disabled. He is 6 years old. He requires around the clock care and supervision regarding therapy, being fed through a feeding tube, many doctors appointments with specialists, lists of medications, all personal care, prevention from injury (he will hurt himself intentionally), etc. He cannot walk, he cannot crawl, he cannot speak, as well as other major limitations. I am far from the only parent in this situation.
• When it comes to caring for a child with special needs, it is physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially straining at different times and sometimes all at the same time. In my particular situation, I am more than capable of meeting all the needs my son has other than the financially. I have other children at home like many other families and they need to be provided for as well. In my case, I am forced back into the workforce to help provide for my family alongside my husband while an agency is paid a large amount by Medicaid to provide my son with a nurse to care for him so I can return to work.
• Unfortunately some families are unable to obtain in-home care resulting in the family being forced to place their child or loved one in a care facility against their will due to financial status. The petition I bring before you is for families of children and or adults with special needs receive income replacement equal to reasonable wages for providing the sole in-home care for their loved one in replacement of a Medicaid paid caretaker.
• I believe that the petition is reasonable and much more affordable in short and long term due to cost savings from government funded insurance (Medicaid) no longer having to pay outside agencies. Under reasonable guidelines and requirements put in place to ensure proper care of disabled loved ones for families to receive income replacement, more stable care can be obtained, there would be less government expenditures for Medicaid, and a reduction of influx of special needs individuals being placed in permanent living facilities. 
• I can say, that I have worked as a CNA in a facility as well as in homes, and I am currently a Direct Support Professional caring for individuals like my son because I do not have the choice to stay home and care for my son myself. The only reason I no longer have my CNA license is due to the fact that I was unable to work for 3 years due to my son's conditions and could not complete working hours to maintain my license.
• With a shortage of nurses and healthcare providers alongside our ongoing COVID situation, paying a relative to care for their loved ones would also reduce the strain on providers and agencies in need of caretakers to send into individual homes.
• I would certainly appreciate your support in the issue because there are so many families struggling and doing all they can in very similar ways, as well as much more dire ways, as I am.
• In a nut shell, would we prefer our government to pay an agency $5,000 a month or much more for a Caretaker to go into a home to care for an individual so the family members can go back to work for somewhere around $3,000 a month.....or for the government to have a replacement income under certain conditions and criteria for an able bodied family member/parent to stay home and care for their loved ones themselves if they desire to do so?
• Other state programs have had success in implementing programs such as what this petition is for. I'm asking for a program that's implemented across the United States to benefit families in all areas.
• ***As an edit, this is not wanting to replace all in-home healthcare, this petition is for families to have this option to stay home and be able to survive financially while caring for their disabled loved ones so long as they are capable of providing the necessary care and attention to the person being cared for.
• I will add supportive links below as I find them.
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nashp.org/state-approaches-to-reimbursing-family-caregivers-of-children-and-youth-with-special-health-care-needs-through-medicaid/&ved=2ahUKEwjqzKD7g5z2AhViUt8KHV2HBW0QFnoECDsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0u8K9JTDslZ631RG9XZ45B
• Thank you so much for your time!