Government Assistance For Special Needs Child

Learn About Financial Supports For Children With Disabilities

• Supplemental Security Income for Children, Social Security Administration

Learn about how SSI provides monthly cash payments to help meet the basic needs of children who have a physical or mental disability or who are blind. If you care for a child or teenager with a disability and have limited income and savings or other resources, your child may be eligible for SSI.

The 2021 Guide To Government Resources For Special Needs

Do you have a disabled child or one with other special needs? Are you having trouble with the financial impact of caring for your special needs child? Or maybe you care for yourself or another adult with a disability?

We have gathered government resources for special needs, including financial assistance, in this guide for 2021. Read on to learn about the current government resources for special needs individuals and their disability benefits.

Tax Breaks For Parents With Special Needs Children

There are tax breaks for parents of disabled children both in the form of credits, which lower the amount of tax to pay and deductions, which lower the amount of taxable income.

Parents may deduct:

• Trips related to medical care
• Medical equipment

Tax credits for parents or others who care for disabled children are more stringent. The child can be any age, including adult, but must meet the Internal Revenue Service definition of a dependent child permanently and totally disabled and cannot engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition. Tax credits for caring for a disabled child are:

• Dependent with a Disability Working at a Sheltered Workshop. Gross income cant include the childs income from the workshop.
• Adoption Credit. For parents who adopt a child with special needs.
• EITC for Parents of Children with Disabilities. For parents who care for a permanently and totally disabled child in the home, regardless of age.
• Child or Dependent Care Credit, For parents who hire a home caregiver for their child.

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Who Are Children With Special Health Care Needs

Children with special health care needs with Medicaid/CHIP as their sole source of coverage are more likely to live in a low-income household, compared to those with private insurance only. Nearly two-thirds of Medicaid/CHIP-only children with special health care needs live in a household with income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level compared to 7% of children with private coverage only . Federal Medicaid program rules cover children with household incomes up to 138% FPL, but all states opt to expand financial eligibility to higher income levels: as of January 2021, the median financial eligibility level for Medicaid/CHIP children nationally is 255% FPL . Some children with special health care needs qualify for Medicaid based solely on their familys low income. Other children with special health care needs may qualify for Medicaid through various disability-related pathways, which may expand income limits to 300% SSI or only consider the childs own, and not their parents, income.

Social Security Disability Insurance

Social Security Disability Insurance is another financial benefit through Social Security. This payment is available for adults who have a disability that began prior to age 22. SSDI can be considered a childs benefit because it is paid on a parents Social Security earnings record.

For a disabled adult to become entitled to this child benefit, one of his or her parents:

• Must be receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits or
• Must have died and have worked enough to qualify for Social Security.

These benefits also are payable to an adult if he or she is disabled at age 18, and if they received dependents benefits on a parents Social Security earnings record prior to age 18. We make the disability determination using the disability rules for adults. SSDI disabled adult child benefits continue as long as the individual remains disabled. Your child doesnt need to have worked to get these benefits.

For more information on SSI and SSDI, see this booklet called Benefits for Children with Disabilities.

You can find many more SSDI resources and information here.

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Learn About Service And Emotional Support Animals For Veterans

The VA provides guide dogs for blind or visually impaired veterans. It also offers service dogs for veterans with other disabilities. Benefits include veterinary care and equipment through VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids. Learn more about guide and service dogs for veterans.

Currently, the VA does not provide service dogs for veterans with mental disorders, such as PTSD. However, research is underway to see if dogs can help treat PTSD and its symptoms. Get information on service dogs, emotional support dogs, and issues related to PTSD.

Private Grants For Parents Of Disabled Children

Parents of children with special needs can seek out grants from foundations and non-profit charitable organizations. However, these private entities often rely on the generosity of donors to fund their mission.

In other words, most private grants will be relatively small. However, the places to look are abundant, so a diagnosis-based approach might help you narrow down the possibilities. Also, single mothers can find another set of grants and free resources based on their unique challenges.

• Cerebral Palsy Family Network

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Financial Assistance For Parents Of Special Needs Children

Parents of children with developmental disabilities have many avenues to find financial assistance. I should know, as my wife and I raised two boys with special needs.

Your youngsters will become young adults one day. Yet, their frailties will continue indefinitely, along with the need to fund never-ending therapies, medical treatments, prescription drugs, and caretaking expenses.

Therefore tap into every available resource to make your dollars stretch further and help your offspring reach their full potential in life.

Follow our roadmap broken down into three categories: government benefits, private grants, and ways to get paid for caretaking duties.

Childrens Health Insurance Program

Childrens Health Insurance Program provides financial assistance for families who have a disabled child and make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for private insurance. Benefits differ depending on state of residence, but all states provide well-baby and well-child care, dental coverage, behavioral health care and vaccines.

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How Do I Know If My Child Has A Special Need

A child may be classified as having a special need if the child is 18 or under , has a documented need for care, and meets one or more of the following criteria:

• Receives Supplemental Security Income benefits on their own disability
• Receives services through the Department of Mental Health
• Has a physical or mental disability or delay
• Is a protective service child receiving services through Children’s Division
• Is under any court-ordered supervision

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

This program provides low-income individuals assistance with purchasing food through an electronic debit card. It is available for families who meet the household eligibility requirements, as determined by their state. SNAP is not limited to children or adults with disabilities, but there are special eligibility provisions for individuals with disabilities.

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List Of Grants For Parents With A Disabled Child

Parents with a disabled child want to ensure that their child receives the medications, therapy, treatment and surgeries they need to live a full life.

Finding financial support is not always a simple undertaking. However, fortunately, there are arrays of organizations that can help.

Here is the list of the organizations that offer grants for parents with a disabled child.

Financial Assistance For Disabled Adults

Obviously, programs designed to assist children are age-restricted, but there are also programs that provide financial assistance for adults with special needs. That group lives in poverty at much higher percentages than the general population. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 17.9% of people with a disability were employed in 2021.

The first place to look for help is the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs.

To qualify for SSDI, you must have held jobs that were covered by Social Security and have a disability that meets Social Securitys requirements. Those approved will receive monthly cash benefits. Those denied can file a disability appeal and potentially still be awarded benefits.

SSI is funded by tax revenue rather than Social Security and is designed for disabled people who dont have sufficient income.

The Social Security Administrations Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool is where to find out if you qualify.

The federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families gives funds to states and territories to provide families with financial assistance and related support services to meet peoples basic needs. State-administered programs may include childcare assistance, job preparation, and work assistance. To find out what your state offers, visit The Office of Family Assistance.

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Children And Youth With Special Health Care Needs Program

The Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program seeks to improve the system of care for children and youth with special health care needs from birth and up to 21 years of age and their families. The Program helps to shape public policy so families can get the best health care for their children.

Children served by the CYSHCN Program have an illness or condition for which they need extra health care and support services. These children might have a serious or long-lasting:

• Physical condition,
• Intellectual or developmental disability, and/or
• Behavioral or emotional condition.

Conditions include but not limited to ADD or ADHD, allergies, anxiety, arthritis/joint problems, asthma, autism or autism spectrum disorder, behavioral/conduct problem, blood disorders, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, depression, developmental delay, diabetes, Down syndrome, epilepsy/seizure disorder, genetic or inherited condition, head injury, hearing problem, heart problem, intellectual disability, learning difficulty, migraines, other mental health condition, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia, speech or language disorder, substance use disorder, Tourette syndrome, and vision problem. The program is not limited to these conditions.

How Long Can I Receive Tanf Assistance

Again, it depends on your state, but in most cases, you can receive TANF assistance for up to 60 months total in your lifetime. Each month you receive assistance will count toward the 60 months. So if one year you use TANF for five months, you’ll have 55 months remaining.

After you’ve used all 60 months, states can make the decision to exceed the 60-month limit based on hardship.

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Learn What Service Animals Do

Common tasks include:

• Guiding a person who is blind
• Alerting someone who is deaf
• Aiding and protecting a person who is having a seizure
• Alerting a person with diabetes or high or low blood sugar
• Assisting someone in a wheelchair
• Calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder during an anxiety attack

Catastrophic Illness In Children Relief Fund

The Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund is a public program that provides the family with funds whose medical expenses increase 10 percent of household income.

Besides medical expenses, the Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund also offers out-of-pocket costs, like gas, parking and tolls.

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About The Children With Special Needs Fund

Note: Depending on the nature of the request, you may be asked to provide additional information. Please allow 4-6 weeks for a decision to be made.

a Approved by a CSHCS medical care consultantb Only when special grant funds are available. Call 517-241-7420 to find out if funds are available for these items.c Approved for children using medical equipment at home requiring a dedicated circuit.d A platform lift may be considered if the property will not accommodate a wheelchair ramp to meet ADA guidelines. A home evaluation report must be submitted to show that a platform lift is the better option.e Request must be justified by the child’s specialty physician and/or physical or occupational therapist who assessed the equipment and determined it to be appropriate for the child.

Contribute Funds Toward An Able Account

Find out who can contribute to or benefit from an ABLE account. Or, learn about how recently enacted tax laws and regulations apply to ABLE Savings accounts.

• The maximum annual contribution limit for your account is $16,000.
• You can exclude taxes on earnings and distributions from the account. These deductions can help you pay for qualified disability expenses.

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The Most Popular Grants For Families With Disabled Children

Starting a family is a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, it can also be a costly one, especially when raising a child with disabilities. Luckily, there are grants and initiatives that can help provide the highest quality of life and ease the financial burden for your family. Read on to learn about the most popular grants for families with disabled children.

Administration For Children & Families

The ACF offers a variety of grant programs serving families, individuals, children and communities. These grants are designed specifically to promote the social and economic well-being of families.

There are a variety of funding opportunities to support social service programs. To locate update or existing information, visit

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Social Security Disability Insurance Program

The SSDI program pays benefits to adults who have a disability that began before they became 22 years old. The Social Security Administration considers the SSDI benefit as a childs benefit because it is paid on a parents Social Security earnings record. For a disabled adult to become entitled to this child benefit, one of his or her parents:

• be receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits or
• Must have died and have worked long enough under Social Security.

Also an adult with a disability, regardless of the age when he or she became disabled, can also apply to receive SSDI based on his or her own work history.

How Are Children With Special Health Care Needs Covered

Together with the Childrens Health Insurance Program , Medicaid covers almost half of all children with special health care needs . Medicaid/CHIP is the only source of coverage for nearly four in 10 children with special health care needs, while another 8% have Medicaid/CHIP to supplement private insurance. Just over half of children with special health care needs have private insurance as their sole source of coverage.

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Social Security Survivor Benefits/social Security Disability Benefits

Monthly cash benefits are available for unmarried children under 18 upon the death, retirement or disability of a parent who is eligible for Social Security. Amounts are calculated based on the parentâs lifetime earnings. Upon turning 18, a person with a qualifying disability who has been receiving these Social Security benefits could receive Social Security Disabled Adult Child benefits, with payments continuing throughout life so long as the person continues to meet eligibility standards.

Find Parent Education And Support

Parent education and support services are available to help you care and advocate for your child with disabilities.

• Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers: There are nearly 100 Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers across the states and territories. These centers work with families of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and help them participate effectively in their childrens education and development. Visit the Center for Parent Information and Resources> to see contact information for PTIs and CPRCs in your state.
• Additional Parent Support Services: To find additional parent support services available in your area, select your state or territory on the See Your States Resources page and click on the Child Development and Early Learning tab.

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Funding And Grants For Children With Disabilities

Having a child with a disability or special health care needs can mean extra costs. This page has a list of different organizations that might be able to help. We found them by reaching out to other parents and researching online. Some places help only families who arent able to pay for certain things. Other places just want to help, no matter what your income.

Here are a few tips when applying for grants and funding:

• Read the website or application carefully. Check if its a match for your needs and you understand the rules. That way you can save time and energy.
• Talk to your childs doctor before applying. See if youre asking for the best kind of equipment or service for your childs needs.
• If you are picked for a grant, send a thank you letter. And maybe even pictures of your child or family. The organization might use these to get more money to help other families.

Dont give up if you arent picked at first. There are many ways to raise money. The lists below dont include every organization that helps with things like transportation, prescriptions, granting wishes, or other funding. But, theyre a good place to start your search.

Hospitals, Organizations, and Private Foundations for Children with Disabilities

There are hospitals and private foundations thaton a case-by-case basisoffer grants to help pay for certain things. They might pay for transportation, equipment, treatments, or other medical costs.

Here are some ideas:

Wish-Granting Organizations