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Tips for Finding Care for Your Special-Needs Child

How do you find care for your special-needs child? The need to care for special-needs children may continue into their...

The need to care for special-needs children may continue into their adult years, and even after the passing of their parents.


The care choices are wide ranging—family, health-care aides, special-care facilities, day programs and group homes. However, your child’s specific needs and your available financial resources may dictate which is appropriate for your situation.

Family Limits

Family members are a logical first choice for care. However, the physical, financial, and emotional demands must be considered.

Home-health aides can provide respite for family caregivers. You may want to distinguish between individuals who work directly with a family versus one employed by a company, since the former may be less expensive.

In some situations, the relief provided by an aide may allow a family member to earn additional income in excess of the cost of a caregiver.

Some care needs may require an extended care facility.

In any case, there is a wealth of private and public resources available to help you through all phases of securing care for your child.

Ask Questions

Whichever direction you take, you will want to perform due diligence on caregiver candidates.

For individual caregivers, ask about their education, experience, and skills. Do they match your child’s needs? Is the caregiver certified? Pose questions relating to your child’s situation. Be attuned to whether the candidate is empathetic or simply views your child as a job.

Interviewing a care facility is also about gauging competency and compassion. Ask about alleged abuse or neglect. What is the staff-to-patient ratio? Call response time? Is supervision present 24/7? What activities are offered? Does the facility have patients compatible to your child? Is the facility accredited? What’s the staff turnover rate?

In each case, ask for references and contact them.

Stay Involved

Ongoing communication is critical to the caregiver understanding your expectations and meeting them. Set regular meetings with the caregiver and ask questions. Offer to volunteer time or join in activities, which will provide you with a deeper insight into care levels. Participation sends a strong message to your child and the facility.

The content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with the named broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright 2016 FMG Suite.

DISCLAIMER: This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a complete description of our investment advisory services or any past performance. This website is neither a solicitation nor an offer to sell securities or investment advisory services except where we are appropriately registered or exempt from such registration. Information throughout this site, whether stock quotes, charts, articles, or any other statement or statements regarding market or other financial information, is obtained from sources which we and our suppliers believe to be reliable.  However, we do not warrant or guarantee the timeliness or accuracy of this information. Nothing on this website should be interpreted to state or imply that past results are any indication of future performance. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM ANY INFORMATION POSTED ON THIS OR ANY ‘LINKED’ WEBSITE.

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DISCLOSURE: Investment advisory services are offered through Gretchen Stangier, Inc. DBA Stangier Wealth Management (“Stangier Wealth Management”), an investment advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Stangier Wealth Management only offers investment advisory services where it is appropriately registered or exempt from registration and only after clients have entered into an investment advisory agreement confirming the terms of engagement and have been provided copies of the firm’s ADV Part 2A brochure and Part 3 documents.

DISCLAIMER: This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a complete description of our investment services or performance. This website is in no way a solicitation or offer to sell securities or investment advisory services except, where applicable, in states where we are registered or where an exemption or exclusion from such registration exists. Information throughout this site, whether stock quotes, charts, articles, or any other statement or statements regarding market or other financial information, is obtained from sources which we, and our suppliers believe reliable, but we do not warrant or guarantee the timeliness or accuracy of this information. Nothing on this website should be interpreted to state or imply that past results are an indication of future performance. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, AS TO ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR RESULTS OBTAINED FROM ANY INFORMATION POSTED ON THIS OR ANY ‘LINKED’ WEBSITE.

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