I am beyond furious at the endless bureaucratic demands forcing me to justify why I should be my child’s paid caregiver under Consumer Directed Services. The proposed amendments are nothing more than a thinly veiled attack on parents like me who are already stretched to the breaking point. This isn’t an oversight—it’s punishment for doing what any loving parent would do: protect and care for their child.

I’m demanding that DMAS stop this madness. These requirements don’t save taxpayer dollars or improve care—they only pile on more unnecessary burdens to families already drowning in paperwork and stress. You are forcing me to fight for my right to care for my child, a right that should never have been questioned in the first place. Every minute spent on this ridiculous justification process is a minute I’m not there for my child. This isn’t about “protecting the system”—it’s about allowing parents like me to do what we’ve been doing all along, ensuring our children are safe and cared for. These endless hoops you make us jump through not only create more harm, but they also inflict emotional distress, and I refuse to be silent any longer. 

And let’s talk about this so-called "job description." How do you expect me to write a description for a role that demands 24/7 vigilance, physical exhaustion, emotional burnout, and no benefit? This isn’t some cushy desk job—it’s my entire existence. I’ve fought for years to get even essential services for my child, and now you expect me to act like I’m hiring someone off Craigslist for one of the most demanding, thankless jobs imaginable? It’s not just irrational. It's a blatant injustice.

The absurdity of these demands is staggering. Do you want me to post an “advertisement” for a stranger to care for my child? Someone who could never know the intricate needs and behaviors that come with their condition? What stranger would know the precise way to calm them down during a meltdown triggered by a loud noise? Who would understand the split-second reaction needed when they’re on the verge of a seizure? The idea that I, their mother, must jump through these hoops to prove I’m the right person to care for them is not just absurd. It isn't very respectful. 

This is more than just paperwork—it’s an all-out assault on families like mine. Every form I fill out, every justification I’m forced to give, takes time and energy away from my child. The time I could be spending ensuring their safety and well-being. This relentless process of proving myself is not about accountability—it’s about erecting barriers to make life even more complicated for those already struggling. And for what? There’s no one out there lining up to take on these caregiver roles for low pay and no benefits. You’re asking us to do the impossible, and it’s gut-wrenching.