We all agree that there's a huge role for the state government in taking care of developmentally disabled individuals. While we need to guard against mission creep - identifying marginally disabled as needing the full range of care, for instance - we wouldn't even be talking about making these folks productive members of society if the state hadn't begun deinstitutionalizing 20 years ago. So the state has a historic role in helping these individuals, and shouldn't be shirking that.
That said, if this is more important than other things we've been spending money on, we ought to take money from those less important things and fund the waitlist, rather than raise taxes going into a recession.
So, what to do? Well, for those of you looking to make private donations, Jewish Family Services and Catholic Charities each run local group homes.
That helps now. But many parents of developmentally disabled children face the distress of knowing their child will have to face the world without them one day. The Wall Street Journal this morning discusses estate planning especially for such families. Most, after all, are middle class, and should be doing estate planning anyway. They provide a few links for families who want to set up special needs trusts:
- Academy of Special Needs Planners specialneedsanswers.com Professional group of lawyers knowledgeable about estate planning, government benefits and other disability-related concerns.
- MassMutual SpecialCare www.massmutual.com/specialcare Program provides financial products and advice for special-needs families. Agents get special training in disability planning.
- MetLife MetDESK www.metlife.com/desk MetLife's Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids offers products, financial advice and resources for families with disabilities. Web site also features a cost-of-care calculator.
- Special Needs Alliance www.specialneedsalliance.org Nonprofit group that provides referrals to experienced special-needs lawyers and other disability resources.
They won't obviate the need for a safety net, but they can certainly reduce the number of people who'll need it.
