Abstract
As people with disabilities have greater opportunities to live and participate fully in their
communities, a growing number are choosing to raise families (National Council on
Disability, 2012). While prevalence estimates vary, research indicates that approximately
5% to 10% of parents in the United States have disabilities. Although parents with 1
disabilities exist in substantial and growing numbers, community-based services and
supports remain scarce for these families. In fact, government-funded home- and
community-based services (HCBS), such as personal care attendant (PCA) services, do not
generally offer services to assist parents with disabilities with childrearing tasks, because
parenting is not considered an activity of daily living. Likewise, there is a dearth of available
and affordable adaptive parenting equipment, such as modified cribs and baby carriers.
This brief proposes policy solutions for assisting parents with disabilities with childrearing
tasks through existing Medicaid-funded services and supports.