Waivers

Holy cow! Let's talk waivers.

I feel fortunate to be in Boulder County, CO because we have a community of supportive organizations and parents. But phew the waiver process is worth a discussion with your Community Centered Board (CCB) in Boulder and Broomfield counties that is A&I avenues. There are several funding streams available to help families.

Waivers Unpacked: Information is taken from https://www.aiavenues.org/a-i-avenues-funding-programs community comments and my experience.

ASD Grant: Autism Spectrum Disorder Grant, not technically a waiver: a 3 year grant for children with a medical diagnosis of autism in Broomfield and Boulder counties. Through the program the family receives funds for approved services and goods. Things like sensory toys, therapies out of network, activities and respite (babysitters) are covered. IQ and adaptive scores above 70 are appropriate for candidates for this grant. Serves ages 5-26 and often has a waitlist. This is not based on income to qualify.

FSSP: Family Support Services Program, not technically a waiver: For consumers (dependents/children) of all ages who live at home with family; grant funds are available to pay a vendor directly or reimburse to family. A recipient will have a developmental or intellectual diagnosis, including autism. If your child has an IQ that is higher than 70 that is ok. The grant considers their adaptive (life skills) score equally critical. A variety of goods, therapies and services qualify for reimbursement (including parent coaching). FSSP is wonderful if your child does not have support needs to qualify for CES (below) but has higher support needs than ASD grant serves. FSSP is good for all ages living at home. The caregiver will receive a lump sum annually while the individual is living at home. Caregiver(s) collect receipts and submit them to A&I. My experience was that the amount varied based on funding from about $2,500 -$5,700 per year. This does not reflect what future years' funds will be. Please contact me for help understanding adaptive scores! This program is not based on income to qualify. It's really worth a conversation if your child has an IEP.

CES: Child Extensive Services Waiver (State of CO) : Your child can be bright but lack executive functioning and require more support and supervision than peers. Or maybe they have higher support needs based on IQ and adaptive scores. Maybe you sleep with your door open so they are not wandering around at night. There are many ways that an individual can have an invisible disability that makes independence difficult to impossible as compared to same aged peers. CES can provide financial support if the individual qualifies. CES is a waiver that is complicated. Take a breath. The parent needs to enroll the child in Medicaid, this is NOT based on parent income. There is no stigma nor negative outcome by doing this step. Parents submit forms (lots of them) with help and the State looks at the child's assets. The child can still be part of the families health insurance, say United Health Care yet also have Medicaid as a secondary so they qualify for the waiver. The child can still see any practitioner who accepts the families health insurance. The child must be living at home.

With the CES waiver the parent is paid for caring for the child since their needs may preclude the parent from working full-time. The parent receives an hourly wage for household chores, community activities with the child, and many other "buckets" of reasons based on CCB evaluation. In Boulder and Broomfield Counties that is A&I avenues.

Please do not let the term "disabled" stop you from learning more. Learn more by contacting your CCB (https://hcpf.colorado.gov/case-management-agency-directory) or me. I'd be happy to share my experience and learning moments so you don't reinvent the wheel or miss out on financial support.

Please email UNJparent@gmail.com for more information and questions. I'm here to help you navigate this and more.