Programs Advocated on Behalf

• Louisiana's Community and Family Support System Plan which provides a variety of support and services at home for children and adults with developmental disabilities
• Louisiana's Medicaid Community Home Based Waiver which currently called the "New Opportunities Waiver (NOW) - provides services for children and adults with developmental disabilities to live at home. Family income and/or resources are considered only for the first month; however the individual's with developmental disabilities income and/or resources are considered. This program provides the individual with Medicaid, as well as the following services: respite, personal care assistance, substitute family care, residential habilitation, habilitation/supported employment, pre-vocational habilitation, day habilitation, environmental modifications, personal emergency response systems, and assistive services.
• Tax Equity Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA) - TEFRA is a program for children with severe disabilities under the age of nineteen (19) years of age to receive care at home. TEFRA provides Medicaid to the child without regards to parental income.
• Cash Subsidy - The cash subsidy is a component of Louisiana's Community and Family Support System Plan to help offset the extraordinary cost of raising a child with severe disabilities. It provides $258 per month to families of children with severe disabilities, regardless of the family's income and/or resources. Families eligible will be those families with children ages birth to 18 years of age who meet the Department of Education's Bulletin 1508 criteria for the handicapping conditions of autism, deaf/blind, profoundly mentally handicapped, severely mentally handicapped and multi handicapped. Children who meet the definitions of severely emotionally handicapped, orthopedically handicapped, health impaired, handicapped infants and toddlers and non-categorical pre-school will be screened to determine the severity of their disability.
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which provides children with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate education.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) children's program provides a cash benefit and health benefit for children with disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria