WA Legislature weighs paying parents who care for children with disabilities
Two-and-a-half years after Melissa Kerson’s son was born, she had to give up her dream job and care for him full time.
Kerson’s son was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes epilepsy, blindness, and developmental and intellectual disability.
Although the state Developmental Disabilities Administration offered support for Kerson to hire a caregiver for her son for a fixed amount of hours, a workforce shortage made it difficult to find someone. And because Washington does not pay parents to care for young children with disabilities, the hours allocated to Kerson’s family were left unused.
-snip-
Legislation making its way through the Legislature this year is trying to change that. House Bill 1200 and Senate Bill 5211 would require the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration to ask the federal government for permission to use Washington’s Medicaid funding to pay parents of minors with developmental disabilities.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/05/wa-legislature-weighs-paying-parents-who-care-for-children-with-disabilities/