Please do not remove the Live-In Paid Parents/Caregivers as attendants through Consumer-Directed option. Taking care of our special needs children is a round-the-clock job that requires the patience, time, and dedication that only a loving parent is willing to provide. It is not trivial work - trying to bring in people that do not know or understand our children, having to work with them to build trust with our children, to teach them how to handle daily tantrums, to learn to be patient and forgiving when dealing with unpredictable behavior, etc. can be truly challenging for us when we are already challenged to just make it through the day. 

Special needs and disabled children are highly vulnerable. There is often much that they do not know and understand. Keeping them safe and secure requires extra-ordinary patience, time, and dedication. Being a paid caregiver helps enable parents to afford to do that as they are unable to join the workforce, and enables them to focus on their children to ensure their unique needs are met, and to keep them safe and secure.

Please make Live-in Paid Parents/Caregivers through Consumer Directed option a permanent regulation as well as keeping the respite hours available for parents as taking care of special needs and disabled children is a full-time job.