42 U.S.C. § 15091 — Findings, purposes, and policy

It is in the best interest of our Nation to preserve, strengthen, and maintain the family^*.

Families of children with disabilities provide support, care, and training to their children that can save States millions of dollars. Without the efforts of family caregivers, many persons with disabilities would receive care through State^*-supported out-of-home placements.

Most families of children with disabilities, especially families in unserved and underserved populations, do not have access to family-centered and family-directed services to support such families in their efforts to care for such children at home.

Medical advances and improved health care have increased the life span of many people with disabilities, and the combination of the longer life spans and the aging of family caregivers places a continually increasing demand on the finite service delivery systems of the States.

In 1996, 49 States provided family support initiatives in response to the needs of families of children with disabilities. Such initiatives included the provision of cash subsidies, respite care, and other forms of support. There is a need in each State, however, to strengthen, expand, and coordinate the activities of a system of family support services for families of children with disabilities that is easily accessible, avoids duplication, uses resources efficiently, and prevents gaps in services to families in all areas of the State.

The goals of the Nation properly include the goal of providing to families of children with disabilities the family support services necessary—

to promote and strengthen the implementation of comprehensive State systems of family support services, for families with children with disabilities, that are family-centered and family-directed, and that provide families with the greatest possible decisionmaking authority and control regarding the nature and use of services and support;

to promote leadership by families in planning, policy development, implementation, and evaluation of family support services for families of children with disabilities;

to promote and develop interagency coordination and collaboration between agencies responsible for providing the services; and

to increase the availability of, funding for, access to, and provision of family support services for families of children with disabilities.