Amongst the several questions on your mind in your quest to make more money is this “Can I get paid to take care of a disabled child?”
As extreme as it sounds, you can get paid to take care of a disabled child – there are government programs designed to carry out this purpose.
In 2018, Genworth, which sells long-term care insurance, estimated the average monthly costs for homemaker services — light housekeeping, meal preparation, and running errands — at about $4,290.
The costs for a home health aide with medical training who can assist with bathing or other personal needs were about $4,385 more monthly, adding up to more than $50,000 a year.
If you’re looking to earn extra cash to ease the financial pressure, taking care of a disabled child could be another means. However, it comes with a lot of legal steps and turns.
Let’s get into the article to discover these programs. Meanwhile, below is the table of content.
Table of contents
Ways To Get Paid To Take Care Of A Disabled Child
The several government programs that allow you to get paid to take care of a disabled child are:
- Medicaid
- Security Social Income (SSI)
- In-home Social Service (IHSS)
#1 Medicaid
Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income individuals and families funded by the federal and state government. Each state can run its Medicaid program as they please in line with the federally set parameters.
It is important to note that each state has a Medicaid plan with a different name subject to the state in which one resides.
For example, California calls Medicaid Medi-Cal; in Massachusetts, it is MassHealth; in Missouri, it is MO HealthNet; and in Washington, it is Apple Health.
To see alternate names for Medicaid in your state, click HERE
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Medicaid Program
Most states have different Medicaid programs that are for different audiences. For example, one program may be designed for low-income families, another for pregnant women, another for disabled individuals, and the other for the elderly.
Irrespective of the name of the Medicaid program, all state Medicaid plans are entitlement programs. Each program offers different benefits to the participant and has other functional and financial eligibility criteria.
Other Medicaid programs include:
Home and Community-Based Services State (HCBS) Plan Option
The HCBS state plan option, also known as the 1915 (i) state plan option, enables states to offer home- and community-based services through their state Medicaid plan.
Here, applicants don’t necessarily need a nursing home level of care. Individualized care plans are created, such as the need for homemaker and personal care services, and budgets may be given to participants to direct their care. This program allows participants to hire caregivers of their choosing, including relatives.
See more about the HCBS program HERE
How To Get Paid Under The Medicaid Program
Most times, family, as well as close friends, serve as informal (unpaid) caregivers. Approximately 1 in 7 adults in the United States — about 40 million people — provide some unpaid care to another person, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
However, there is a bright side. As a caregiver, Medicaid can pay you to provide this service. Caregivers may have to satisfy specific state requirements or become certified Medicaid providers in their state to receive their pay from Medicaid.
Anyone who meets the eligibility requirements can receive services through their state’s Medicaid program.
To see the eligibility requirements, click HERE.
To see the state eligibility requirements, click HERE
For more details about the Medicaid program, Visit their official website.
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#2 Supplementary Security Income (SSI)
Disabled children whose families have low income are eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Children who are approved for SSI disability can also receive Medicaid.
SSI is available to children who meet the disability requirements of the Social Security Administration (SSA) but have few resources.
If the child qualifies for SSI, you will receive a monthly payment as a parent, guardian, or caregiver on the child’s behalf.
However, this payment varies from state to state. Part of the parent’s income is a criterion in determining whether the child is financially eligible for SSI.
After turning 18, the disabled child will need to qualify for SSI as an adult; that is, he or she will have to fit the adult definition of disability. See more details HERE
Disabled children may be eligible for IHSS. The program helps pay for services provided so the child can remain safely in their home.
The types of services authorized through IHSS are housecleaning, meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care services (such as bowel and bladder care, bathing, grooming, and paramedical services), accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective supervision for the mentally impaired.
Depending on the state, any disabled child may qualify for Medicaid and in-home supportive services like food stamps and cash aid. You can also sometimes apply to train as an in-home supportive services caregiver with the county.
When the county services approve the child, you may qualify for a certain number of hours per month, depending on the extent of the disability. Generally, the pay is close to minimum wage but differs county to county.
To know more about the eligibility requirements for IHSS, visit the official website.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a outline of ways to Get Paid for Raising a Child with Special Needs
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
Medicaid Waivers
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Private or Non-Profit Organizations.
The State of Florida offers the benefit of Guardianship Assistance payments to relatives and fictive kin that commit to providing long term care for children in Florida’s Child Welfare System and meet eligibility criteria.
Here are some disability benefits and entitlements for children
Disability Living Allowance.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP
Help with housing costs if your child has a disability
Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit if your child has a disability
Help with getting about – Motability and Blue Badge Schemes.
Conclusion
Aside from your regular paying job, you can also get paid to care for a disabled child. It all depends on you!
We hope this article helps you in deciding.
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