Having a disability, whether it’s physical or mental, makes life more challenging. Depending on the degree of the disability, sometimes it’s a lot more challenging. And not just for the individual, but for family too. Washington recognizes that and lawmakers here are taking action. This week, Governor Inslee signed three bipartisan bills into law to help those with disabilities and their families.
One of the biggest problems in our state is that we have 15,000 people with disabilities who are underserved. Imagine if you had a child with a severe disability who needed constant attention and care. But you could never take a break. That would be hard on your child, on you, on your marriage and on your other children. But this is the reality for 15,000 families in Washington because, until now, the state could not afford to pay for either a full time caregiver or for respite or relief care for family members who are the primary caregivers.
HB 2746 and SB 6387 will help more families access services by taking advantage of a federal program called Community First Choice Options for Medicaid patients. The state money freed up by taking advantage of this program will go to provide services to those with disabilities and their families.
All moms and dads know parenting is hard. And for parents with disabilities the challenge can be even greater. The National Council on Disability reports that, “Even today, 24 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)…child removal rates for parents who have a psychiatric disability have been found to be as high as 70 to 80 percent; for parents who have an intellectual disability, 40 to 80 percent.”
We can do better. We know the best place for children is at home, with their family. So how do we help these parents? By giving them a little extra support and assistance. HB 2616 recognizes that and ensures that if a parent is at risk of losing their child that he or she has access to the support services needed to keep the family together.
Our state still has a long way to go to make sure all Washingtonians receive the care and support they need to lead a happy, successful life. But these three bills recently signed into law are a significant step forward along that path.