TCDD Position Statement: Children and Families

Position Statements

All children belong in families that provide love, caring, nurturing, bonding and a sense of belonging and permanence that best enables them to grow, develop and thrive. Children with disabilities are no different from other children in their need for the unique benefits that come only from growing up in a permanent family relationship. All children benefit and are enriched by being part of an inclusive environment that promotes physical, social, and intellectual well-being and leads to independence and self-determination.

Families of children with disabilities often need supports and services to sustain family life and keep their children at home and included in the community. Family support services are intended to strengthen the family's role as primary caregiver, prevent expensive out-of-home placement of individuals with disabilities, maintain family unity and foster self-determination.

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities believes that:

All children can and should live in a family. All children need a family to best grow, develop and thrive. All children deserve the love, nurturing and permanency that are unique to family life.
Families come from many cultures and are multidimensional. No matter its composition or cultural background, a family offers a child a home and a lifelong commitment to love, belonging and permanency. Parents with disabilities are capable of and do provide loving families and homes to children.
Families, including parents with disabilities, should have available the level of supports and services needed to keep children with disabilities in their own homes. Family support services should include, but are not limited to, respite care, provision of rehabilitation and assistive technologies, personal assistant services, parent training and counseling, vehicular and home modifications, and assistance with extraordinary expenses associated with disabilities. In addition, since the vast majority (over 85%) of individuals with disabilities reside with families in their own households, families of children with disabilities need access to appropriate child care and to before- and after-school programs. Child care for children with disabilities should be affordable, safe, appropriate and in the most integrated setting.
Providers of family support services must have education and training that will prepare them to work with people with disabilities in inclusive settings to achieve this goal.
To be effective and beneficial, supports and services must be easy to access, family-driven, individualized, flexible to changing needs and circumstances, culturally sensitive and based on functional needs rather than categorical labels.
When children cannot remain in their own families, for whatever reason, they still deserve to live and grow up in a family. The first priority should be to reunite the family through the infusion of services and supports. When that is not possible and the family can remain actively involved in the child's life, the natural family should be a key participant in selecting an alternate family situation for their child, including foster families, co-parenting and adoption.
When families cannot be actively involved in their children's lives, permanency planning must occur to allow each child to live in a family.
School districts and health and human services agencies are integral sources of information and training for parents. Coordination among school districts and outside agencies is critical to provide parents with accurate, timely information regarding services and eligibility requirements.
The state Child Protective Services system is essential to guarantee that all children are safe from abuse and neglect. Support of the families of children with disabilities from this system is critical to make sure children remain in a safe, family environment and are not unnecessarily removed from families due to the absence of necessary services and supports.

The Council also supports the position that when children with disabilities grow up in families, the community at large accepts the value of providing supports to children and families at home so that children become and remain participants and contributors to their communities.

The Council supports the position that the State of Texas should adopt a public policy statement recognizing the value of families in children's lives and develop programs, policies and funding mechanisms that allow all children to live and grow up in a family

Reviewed February 9, 2012.

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Public Policy Public Policy News TCDD Public Policy Input Advocacy 101 Texas Legislature TCDD Public Policy Priorities Position Statements Public Information Act Federal Policy Update Sunset Review	TCDD Position Statement: Children and Families Position Statements Access to Health Care Aging with DD Children and Families Community Living Criminal Competency Education Emergency Preparedness Employment Family Support Services Guardianship Public Transportation Right to Privacy Service Coordination Transition from School to Adult Life All children belong in families that provide love, caring, nurturing, bonding and a sense of belonging and permanence that best enables them to grow, develop and thrive. Children with disabilities are no different from other children in their need for the unique benefits that come only from growing up in a permanent family relationship. All children benefit and are enriched by being part of an inclusive environment that promotes physical, social, and intellectual well-being and leads to independence and self-determination. Families of children with disabilities often need supports and services to sustain family life and keep their children at home and included in the community. Family support services are intended to strengthen the family's role as primary caregiver, prevent expensive out-of-home placement of individuals with disabilities, maintain family unity and foster self-determination. The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities believes that: All children can and should live in a family. All children need a family to best grow, develop and thrive. All children deserve the love, nurturing and permanency that are unique to family life. Families come from many cultures and are multidimensional. No matter its composition or cultural background, a family offers a child a home and a lifelong commitment to love, belonging and permanency. Parents with disabilities are capable of and do provide loving families and homes to children. Families, including parents with disabilities, should have available the level of supports and services needed to keep children with disabilities in their own homes. Family support services should include, but are not limited to, respite care, provision of rehabilitation and assistive technologies, personal assistant services, parent training and counseling, vehicular and home modifications, and assistance with extraordinary expenses associated with disabilities. In addition, since the vast majority (over 85%) of individuals with disabilities reside with families in their own households, families of children with disabilities need access to appropriate child care and to before- and after-school programs. Child care for children with disabilities should be affordable, safe, appropriate and in the most integrated setting. Providers of family support services must have education and training that will prepare them to work with people with disabilities in inclusive settings to achieve this goal. To be effective and beneficial, supports and services must be easy to access, family-driven, individualized, flexible to changing needs and circumstances, culturally sensitive and based on functional needs rather than categorical labels. When children cannot remain in their own families, for whatever reason, they still deserve to live and grow up in a family. The first priority should be to reunite the family through the infusion of services and supports. When that is not possible and the family can remain actively involved in the child's life, the natural family should be a key participant in selecting an alternate family situation for their child, including foster families, co-parenting and adoption. When families cannot be actively involved in their children's lives, permanency planning must occur to allow each child to live in a family. School districts and health and human services agencies are integral sources of information and training for parents. Coordination among school districts and outside agencies is critical to provide parents with accurate, timely information regarding services and eligibility requirements. The state Child Protective Services system is essential to guarantee that all children are safe from abuse and neglect. Support of the families of children with disabilities from this system is critical to make sure children remain in a safe, family environment and are not unnecessarily removed from families due to the absence of necessary services and supports. The Council also supports the position that when children with disabilities grow up in families, the community at large accepts the value of providing supports to children and families at home so that children become and remain participants and contributors to their communities. The Council supports the position that the State of Texas should adopt a public policy statement recognizing the value of families in children's lives and develop programs, policies and funding mechanisms that allow all children to live and grow up in a family Reviewed February 9, 2012.
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities 6201 E. Oltorf, Suite 600 Austin, TX 78741-7509 Phone: (512) 437-5432 Toll-Free: 1-800-262-0334 Accessibility \| Site Policies Copyright 2005-2012 - Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities Links from TCDD to other Internet sites are provided as a convenience for informational purposes. No official endorsement should be inferred.