PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT take away the Live-in Paid Parents/Caregivers as attendants through the Consumer Directed Option. We have a hard time finding and retaining attendants that truly understand or have the patience to work with or care for our special needs/disabled children. As parents, we are willing to go the extra miles to take total care of our children in order to ensure our children’s needs are met, are properly cared for, and their happiness and safety are not jeopardized. It is a challenging job with nominal pay and no benefits. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to find experienced and reliable attendants to care for our children. Please make Live-in Paid Parents/Caregivers through Consumer Directed Option a permanent regulation as well as keeping the respite hours available for the parents as this is a 7/24 job. 

 

If you know or have loved ones with a disability then you will understand what we parents are going through on a daily basis. Please do right by our children and vote with your heart. Please vote against these proposed changes to the Virginia Medical Waivers. Thank you!