Good day,

My name is Brent and I live in Loudoun County in the town of Leesburg, Virginia. During the pandemic, parents were able to serve as paid caregivers to waiver-eligible minors and we saw a myriad of benefits including less strain on the limited pool of for hire caregivers, family income stabilized as parents didn't risk losing jobs or staying home with zero income to take care of kids with complex needs, and no rise in costs as a parent being the paid provider does not increase access to services already approved. We must reinstate and make permanent these provisions. This proposed amendment - which is consistent with other CMS-approved plans - will make a huge positive difference for impacted families. 

For my young family personally this support has helped tremendously as I have a wife with Stage IV cancer and recently she has had to retire from the US State Department because of her health.

Additionally finding great health care workers that are quality caregivers is a challenge.  There is a shortage, their benefits are low as well as their pay.  This program allows for us as a family to deliver better care than our previous experiences.

With all of that in mind, I am writing today with the following asks: