Please make the Personal Care Attendant through Consumer-Directed services option for parents permanent.  It is extremely difficult for people who are not parents of children with disabilities to fully understand the magnitude of the impact that this amazing service has given to parents.  My husband and I adopted 3 children with varying special needs.  As their parents, we know their care is our responsibility, and being their PCA has allowed us more work flexibility to be able to be home with them during illnesses, surgeries, etc.  We also don’t have the added stress of relying on someone else to get them off the school bus and provide the appropriate care.  We have had attendants in the past who weren’t there to meet them at the bus, which then leads to the situation of our child being taken back to school and one of us to leave work to pick them up.  Care for children with significant needs is difficult at best, and there aren’t many people out there to hire that are trustworthy enough to do the job.  Two of our children are non-verbal and therefore unable to tell us when something is happening to them.  We have had suspicions of neglect with some our attendants who seem more interested in watching TV and being on their phone than providing the services our children need.  There are probably a million more reasons that I could list, but to be respectful of your time, let me just close by saying that our children need us (their parents) to care for them in the manner that we know is the safest, most familiar, and most beneficial for them.  Shouldn’t their well-being be our top concern???  Aren’t the parents the best option for a caregiver….especially in today’s society?  Please don’t take away the one thing that has been the most beneficial service for parents and children.  It has truly been life changing.