Family and Caregiver Support
“Family caregivers exemplify the true spirit of compassion by providing support to their loved ones and assisting with their everyday activities and special needs. These selfless people must often make great personal sacrifices to maintain the care and support their family and friends require. Their assistance provides those who may be ill, aging, or disabled an opportunity to stay in familiar surroundings and remain a part of their community.”
- President George Bush, 2006 National Family Caregiver Month
The Arc of the Capital Area’s Family and Caregiver Support Services make sure that these individuals are able to keep their spirits alive in spite of any personal sacrifices they must make while caring for their loved ones. We do this by providing services that ensure that parents of children with developmental disabilities have access to essential information and support to develop and strengthen their care-giving skills, reduce their isolation, decrease their stress levels, and support their efforts to keep their children at home, in school, and functioning within the community they live.
The following services are offered at no cost or on a sliding fee scale:
-
Specialized respite care
-
Peer mentoring and advocacy
-
Educational opportunities
-
Academic Coaching
-
Basic needs and crisis assistance
Parent Match
Many of the parents who are served through the Family and Caregiver Support Program have just discovered that their child has a disability and they are in need of emotional support, resources, and assistance understanding the Special Education process.
Our award-winning parent-to-parent matching service brings families together to share real-world experiences and situations that are common to parents who are facing the future of raising a child with a disability.
Educational Opportunities/Support Groups
The Arc in collaboration with MHMR and local school districts conducts weekly support groups, educational opportunities, and bilingual Special Education trainings to help parents gain valuable parenting knowledge and skills. Snacks and childcare are included
Academic Coaching
The Arc provides community volunteers who assist Special Education students and their caregivers with achieving goals specific to the student’s educational plan for the future.
Academic Coaching volunteers are screened, trained and selected for assignments based on their experience relative to the client’s needs and their compatibility with the individual. Our goal is to create friendships in addition to assisting students with achieving academic success. The coach and student meet once a week in the students home or local library and commit to six months.
Basic Needs and Crisis Assistance
The Arc is a member of the Basic Needs Coalition of Central Texas, which provides a service called the Best Single Source Program. This program provides up to $1200 a year that must be used for rent, mortgage or utilities. The client must be in a crisis situation, (for many of our clients it involves missing work due to dealing with their child's illness/ disability) live in Travis County, have participated in other Arc related services in the last 3 months, and complete 3 months of case management with The Arc.
The Arc also manages a Crisis Assistance fund for additional needs. This program is supported by grants/funders, and is allotted to clients who have an immediate need, such as a wheel chair ramp, food, modified toys, or mobility devices. This funding is open to all of our clients who have participated in Arc related services in the last three months. "Arc Crisis Assistance funds are limited to funding availability."
