Family Support
Family Support is a state funded grant that provides financial assistance for families
who have a family member with a severe disability.
The
Arc of Davidson County administers the Family Support grant for Davidson County.
For the fiscal year 2007/2008, Family Support allotted $633,318.85 for Davidson County.
The Arc serves approximately 400 individuals with severe
disabilities in Davidson County. The participants represent all socio-economic backgrounds
and types of permanent disability. Currently there are over 1,500 people on the waiting
list for Family Support. Yet it
is estimated that the people on the waiting
list are only a small percentage of the true population of persons with severe disabilities
in Davidson County.
The
typical assistance Family Support provides for each family member with a severe disability
is
$1,500 annually
in Davidson County. This amount is determined by the Arc of Davidson County local council.
The money may be used for anything the family needs to improve their quality of life.
Such expenses might include specialized
equipment,
medical supplies, respite care, or transportation. Additionally, there
is some funding for emergency situations for families on the waiting list. By vote of
the local
council, the emergency funding is earmarked for medical emergencies only.
Most
of the participants in Family Support are dependent on Social Security Supplemental
Income (SSI) for the bulk of their income, and often the Family
Support grant means
the difference
between being able to buy medicine or put food on the table or
having to do without.
For more information, please contact Mary Hildebrand: mhildebrand@arcdc.org
