I am writing in defense of amendment #4. 

My son was awarded a DD waiver slot when he was 12. We were so excited to finally get some much needed help. Unfortunately the reality of hiring help soon had us even more frustrated than before he received the waiver. 

My son has high support needs that require 24/7 supervision. He has a history of wandering if he is left unattended. His seizures require constant awareness. He needs help with feeding himself and cannot prepare his own food. He still requires full assistance with his personal care needs from bathing to dressing to cleaning him due to fecal and urinary incontinence. He has a history of hurting himself and others when he is frustrated. He is completely non-speaking and requires full assistance with his communication needs.

Finding someone to take on the task of being his personal care attendant has proven impossible. We worked with multiple agencies for two years. In all that time only two potential candidates emerged. One was positively terrified of my son. The other could not pass the background checks. Given the hours we need covered and the pay, it is extremely difficult to find someone willing to take on this job.

I had been unable to work outside of our home because I had no one else to care for my son. When we were told I could be his paid caregiver we suddenly had an answer for our family that fit. I was already doing the work for no money. Having the flexibility to be paid for a portion of the hours I work taking care of my son has benefited our family greatly. We were able to rely less on public assistance because I was now earning a regular income. My son was able to grow in his communication and self-care skills because his care remained consistent with someone he trusted. 

Allowing families to have the option of a paid family caregiver is vital to the support of our loved ones. My son deserves to be able to have consistency in his care. Please support this amendment so that families like ours can continue to thrive instead of constantly struggling due to inadequate support. Thank you.