Services

So our first choice for Daughter won't take her because she is an insulin dependent diabetic. I'm waiting to hear about our current top choice. I'm also wondering about the impact the new governor and legislature will have on her services. I'm hoping that she will be established in a program before they begin, because I suspect that it will soon be harder to get any services at all once the n.

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I recently read an article about a couple in a neighboring state who can't get services for their special needs young adult son. He waits in his Dad's pick-up truck while his Dad is working. Yes, his Dad works full time. Soon, it will be too cold for him to sit outside in a pick-up truck all day. Perhaps most concerning were the comments that were made on the article. There wasn't much sympathy for the young man or his family. They should have been planning and preparing for this-- it was their responsibility to take care of him. If they couldn't afford it, they should get additional jobs. I sat here reading the article and comments and thinking about Daughter. Additional jobs. I already work well over 40 hours a week. Every hour I work is another hour that I need to make sure Daughter is safe and supervised.

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Yesterday, when I used the restroom at the church, I noticed that there was a paper towel opened neatly across the top of the waste basket. I lifted it up, and discovered a half eaten bag of pretzels. The church was a polling place on Tuesday, and we forgot to lock up the basement kitchen following the election. I have no idea when Daughter went scavenging and discovered the lapse. I don't follow her when she tells me she needs to go the restroom.

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The results of the election scare me. It seems like all of these new governors are promising to eliminate budget deficits while cutting taxes. To do that will require massive spending cuts. People like Daughter are invisible. Her needs are not understood, or are dismissed. In this state, they aren't even accepting applications for supported living. She will be with me as long as I live. I am going to have to explore adult day care options and find money for that in my budget. My work is flexible, and while I work a lot of hours, I can schedule appointments during my work day. While it is a pain, she can hang out at the church with me.

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I don't think the general public has any concept of the burden a child like Daughter places on a family. I doubt I'd be able to keep a job in a factory or cubicle-- I couldn't drag Daughter along and the hours wouldn't be flexible enough to accommodate all of her appointments. I love my Daughter. I'm grateful to have her in my life. Like most parents, though, I anticipated a day when she would move out and live independently. I anticipated a day when she wouldn't require such close supervision. There aren't many families who would have been able/willing to take her on if they had known what the future would bring. I'm sorry that our society is losing their compassion and willingness to support families like mine.