Help protect and improve the future lives of entire families with this essential financial planning guide, ideal for parents of a child with a disability and service providers who support them. Developed by two financial planning experts who also have family members with special needs, this one-of-a-kind book is an absolute must-have as parents and other caregivers plan for the lasting financial independence of their families. Transforming the financial planning presentations they’ve given to families across the country into a thorough, easy-to-read resource, the well-known authors give parents a chronological guide broken down into four critical life stages, so readers can turn right to the section that applies to them. For each stage from birth to adulthood, parents will get comprehensive advice and strategies on how to address:
Financial factors – including mortgages and other expenses, insurance policies, investments, and savings
Legal factors – such as conducting estate planning, weighing guardianship with less restrictive alternatives, and creating a Special Needs Trust to ensure a child’s future
Government factors – identifying and supplementing government benefits, such as residential services, supported employment, and respite care
Family and support factors – such as the family’s values, the parents’ careers, sibling considerations, and contributions of extended family members
Emotional factors – such as dealing with both positive and negative feelings, staying connected with others, and using strong emotions to fuel advocacy
Included are all the tools families need to create an effective action plan for their finances: planning checklists and forms, a helpful glossary of financial terms, “planning pointers” that help readers remember key points, and extended case studies dramatizing other families’ evolving challenges and solutions. Plus, the CD-ROM in the back of the book contains a helpful Financial Planning Timeline and a printable Letter of Intent that lets parents communicate key information, concerns, and desires to future caretakers.
A book parents will use for the rest of their lives – and a necessary addition to the reference library of every service provider – The Special Needs Planning Guide will awaken families’ awareness about financial planning, give them what they need to get it done, and help them turn their dreams for their future into reality. To Order call 1-800-638-3775 (M-F, 8am -5pm), or buy online at Brookes Publishing.
