FAMILY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM

Preparing for the future of a child with special needs is complicated. Parents of neuro-typical children bear responsibility for their child until they enter college or the workforce. The responsibility of parents of children with special needs grows even greater after they have aged out of public school.

Special needs families receive services through the public school system until age 22. After students age out, parents or guardians are responsible for finding and funding any future services.

Medicaid waivers are available for these families to help their children to live in their homes or community instead of an institution, including social and recreational services like those provided by Exceptional Futures. Unfortunately, the wait list in the state of Georgia for those with intellectual or development disabilities is over 7,000 families. The process is complex and can be overwhelming.

Even if parents know they will have this additional responsibility, it is hard to focus on that while dealing with everyday challenges.

Exceptional Futures offers a Family Navigation Program to guide parents and help them pursue resources to provide a sustainable future for their children with special needs.

We assist in pursuing resources such as:

• Medicaid Waiver
• Family Support Funding
• Guardianship
• Social Security

While the Family Navigator cannot do any of this for families, we can support them in the steps that they must take to create a sustainable future for their families.

A Navigator will help create action steps and a timeline, be available for questions, and check back on a schedule to help families be accountable for this process. In order to participate in the EF Family Navigator Program, families must be prepared to spend the time and commit to working on the action steps necessary to move forward.