Families caring for a special needs child collectively lose billions of dollars each year in relation to caregiving responsibilities, a recent study found.
The study, “Family-Provided Health Care for Children With Special Health Care Needs,” shows families provide up to fourteen hours weekly or 36 billion dollars worth of care on a yearly basis. Assistance with basic daily functions such as feeding, bathing, and dressing were not accounted for in these numbers. For every child with a disability, the average household loses $3,200 related to medical care for them. That number can jump to over $6,000 a year annually if the family decides to hire aides to assist with care, which puts this out of the question for many families.
Being the primary caregiver for a child also spurs emotional trauma in a number of cases. Compounding this with the extra financial burden that families face when raising a child with disabilities, too often the round the clock job of many parents eliminates their ability to pursue a full time career.
