Please keep consumer direct as an option for parents to serve as paid caregivers.  While I would love to be able to find another attendant to serve as a caregiver for my son who has significant disabilities, I have been unable to find anyone.  I have also contacted local agencies about switching to agency directed care and none offer services for children in my area.  My son is tube fed, in a wheelchair, nonverbal, has daily seizures and totally dependent on others for everything.  It is nearly impossible to find someone willing to care for him, much less at $12.70 per hour and no benefits.   After multiple ads in the paper and asking everyone I know I was able to find someone to watch him during the summer two days a week, but had to pay 100% out of pocket since the rate was $20 per hour.  It’s considered Medicaid fraud to pay additional on top of what Medicaid pays so I didn’t even get to use his benefits to help cover the cost.  The whole system is broken and since there are no agencies in my area that serve children, the proposed rules take away any option to use my son’s benefits.