Special needs parents worry. I say it a lot because it’s true. They worry about the day to day, they worry about money for therapies and 
equipment, they worry about school resources, they worry about finding good people to help care for their child, they worry about the future, and most of all, in the back of their mind where they shove the worries they don’t want to have to think about, they worry about their child being abandoned, neglected, and abused. They worry about the very thing that happened to 35 poor residents of a Chicago-area residential home this week. You can read the story here. But the upshot is that a worst case scenario happened and the owners of this residence simply locked the doors and left the residents alone. Abandoned, neglected and abused in the purest sense of those words.
The good news is that you have the power to eliminate that risk for your child if you plan properly. Even though your child will probably outlive you, you can still take care of your child long after you have left this earth. If you do what you need to do, there is every reason to believe that your child will never be one of the forgotten.
Imagine yourself having just completed all the the Four Keys to Special Needs Planning. Here are the four reasons your special needs child will never be neglected:
- People are involved with your child. You have created a community of caregivers who have a way to stay updated on your child, have been asked to participate in your child’s life in whatever way they like, have been given specific permission to communicate with the “official” guardian and trustee for your child, and, most importantly, have been made to feel like they are a part of the group who is responsible for caring for your child.
- Money is available for your child. You have made sure that your child will remain eligible for government benefits and that all other financial resources that may be available for your child are found, maximized, and properly managed.
- You have left instructions and details. You have left all the information anyone might need to be able to both care for you child and also to make important decisions about their life and care in a way that is important to you and that takes into account all your child’s strengths and preferences. You have made sure that this information is accessible and available at short notice whenever needed.
- The force of law is on your side. You have been to a lawyer and have gotten all the paperwork, court orders, and legal mumbo jumbo you need to ensure that your plans are carried out the way you intended.
It’s a big project. It will take you some time and it will take some money to complete this project, but it is within your reach. If you haven’t gotten our Special Needs Planning Blueprint yet, click here to request your free copy – Blueprint.