I am the mother of a 4-year-old child with Level 3 autism and ADHD who requires significant daily assistance, supervision, and support. My son currently receives attendant care and respite services through Virginia Medicaid.

I am concerned about the proposed changes to replace service facilitators with support brokers. Our current service facilitator visits our home monthly, reviews my son’s needs, and helps us navigate his services.

As a parent of a child with significant disabilities, consistency is extremely important. My son requires constant supervision due to safety concerns, including elopement, and our family depends on these services to ensure he receives appropriate care.

My biggest concern is that families are being asked to prepare for a major change without clear answers about how it will affect our children, caregivers, and existing services.

Will families continue to have a choice in who provides their support? Will our authorized attendant care and respite hours remain protected? Will parents who serve as Employers of Record continue to have the same responsibilities and flexibility?

I am not against improvements to the Medicaid system, but I believe changes of this magnitude should be carefully planned, clearly explained, and made with input from the families who depend on these services.

I respectfully ask that Virginia delay implementing this proposal until families receive clear answers and assurances that their children’s care will not be disrupted.

Our children deserve stability, and families deserve to have a voice in decisions that directly affect their lives.

Thank you for considering my concerns.