The Family Support Services Program was developed to assist families to care for their relatives in the family home as a means to prevent out-of-home placement. It provides financial assistance for eligible families to obtain services for their family member. Individual/Family must meet the 300% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Target Population
Individuals of all ages who meet the 300% poverty guidelines and reside at home with their family/primary caretaker are eligible for Family
Support services.
Services
Respite
Respite provides the primary caregiver an occasional break or temporary relief from the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for their family member with a disability. Regular respite care for the caregiver helps sustain the health and well-being of the caregiver, helps avoid or delay costly out-of-home placements, and reduces the likelihood of abuse and neglect.
Respite services can be provided in the family’s home, in the respite provider’s home, in a day care or recreational setting. Eligible families will receive a quarterly voucher in which they can use to purchase ongoing or emergency respite care.
Emergency respite care funding is available to families who meet criteria:
- Family death
- Family illness/hospitalization
- Persons in imminent danger of being abused.
- The extent of the person’s disability causes unusual stress on family member
Purchase of Service
Purchases
of Service supplements are emergency purchase vouchers provided to families to assist them with the excess costs of services for their relatives. All funding sources and existing resources must be used by the family before the POS is issued to them. The approval of a Purchase of Service
Vouchers is subject to state funds availability and may not be approved based solely on request. Families who request a POS must meet financial guidelines to receive vouchers and must have an emergency circumstance. The service/goods
are provided to the family and the Regional Center is billed for the service.
Examples of items that can be purchased with
the voucher include such things as:
- Food
- Medical/dental services not covered by insurance.
- Special diets
- Adaptive equipment
- Utilities
To learn more about the Family Support Services offered by the Aging and Disability Services Division, contact a Regional Center near you.