Family Cost Participation

From the DES website here:
"Effective March 1, 2010 the Division will implement a family cost participation program for early intervention services.  The Department of Economic Security Arizona Early Intervention  Program (AzEIP) is authorized by Federal law (20 U.S.C. §1432(4) (B); 34 C.F.R. §§303.520 and -.521) and Arizona law (ARS 36-562(G)) to require parents/responsible parties to pay for a  percentage of their child’s services. Children who are Arizona Long-Term Care System (ALTCS) eligible are excluded from this program. The amount a family may have to pay will be based on  adjusted gross income over 200% of the Federal poverty level, family size and the costs paid by the State for the services their child receives.

If you have questions, please contact (602) 364-1379 or email your question and phone number to DDDHotline@azdes.gov. "

Hopefully this isn't new news to anyone- most of the families that I know of have already received their letters. I keep hearing that support coordinators should be getting in touch with families in order to determine what their payment would be each month and adjust the IFSP accordingly if families will be unable to pay for services. I did see that families could apply for a hardship waiver of fees but I don't know how that works or what the chances of getting a waiver would be.

E-mail, write, and call your legislators.