President’s Message: Everyone needs a vacation!
2024 Parent University Class 5: “Introducing Future Guardians and Trustees into our Family Process – May 9”
Catch up on Parent University Class 4: “We All Need a Vacation! Is it Possible to Make That Happen? Yes!”
In the News: Help parents of special-needs children plan for their financial future
News to Share: Checklists for Guardians and Trustees
Upcoming Events
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Community News | May 2024
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Looking Toward a Bright Future, Together
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I can still hear my sister, Marcia, laugh.
Born with cerebral palsy, Marcia was a very cheerful girl, and we sisters had a lot of fun together. But she didn’t live in an accessible world, and the joys of vacationing were not available to her.
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Today, inclusion of people with disabilities in activities – including vacationing -- is much more common. About 100 Protected Tomorrows clients tuned in recently for one of our Parent University sessions in which four of these opportunities were introduced, and I found them very inspiring. You can still view the webinar using this link and coupon code 2024pu4vacation.
We learned about Buddy Cruises, Wheel the World, the Adept Traveler and Morgan’s Wonderland, an incredibly special theme park for special-needs families in San Antonio, Texas. Our speakers shared their best tips. Here are a few of them.
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- Accessibility information you find online is confusing and inadequate. Partner with an agency or organization that specializes in travel for persons with disabilities.
- Don’t travel during the busiest seasons.
- Plan a year out or more.
- Buy “cancel for any reason” travel insurance.
- Prepare for worst-case scenarios so you’re ready for whatever life throws at you.
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My word of advice is this: When you’re making plans for the future of a child with a disability, take care of the medical, social, housing and financial needs – but don’t overlook the importance of recreation.
I wish Marcia had lived to see this world. She would have loved it.
Yours truly,
Mary Anne Ehlert
President, Protected Tomorrows
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Introducing Future Guardians and Trustees Into Our Family Process: When and How
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Parent University Class 5
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Family and sibling communication is crucial if they will be taking on responsibility for a loved one with a disability. What should they know? When should they know it? If corporate guardians and trustees will be part of the “dream team,” how and when do you start bringing them into your process?
If you'd like the information, but can’t attend, register and we’ll provide you with a link to the recorded video after the class.
For Zoom security, when you register, you’ll receive an email with a link to the class and a passcode, which you’ll be asked to enter when you log on. (To avoid disruption, we'll close the class at 12:05. If you’re late, you'll be able to watch the video later.)
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We All Need a Vacation! Is It Possible to Make That Happen? Yes!
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In this session, we met two service providers who assist in planning vacations when you or a family member has unique needs; parents of a daughter with Down syndrome who look forward every fall to the annual Buddy Cruise in partnership with Royal Caribbean; and the CEO of Morgan’s Wonderland, the only amusement park in the world designed with special-needs individuals in mind. Now is a great time to start researching and finding out what will work for your family.
To watch it using the coupon code:
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- Click on the link below to access the class in our store
- Add the class to your cart
- Type in the coupon code 2024pu4vacation at checkout
- Click “Apply coupon”
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Help parents of special-needs children plan for their financial future
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Imagine having to scrape together enough money to put your child through Harvard University, every year for the rest of his or her life. That’s the daunting task faced by the parents of a child with special needs.
Special-needs parents must be ready to fund $50,000 or more a year for their child’s future care, even after the parents have retired or died. Parents of a child with special needs are haunted by one question: “Who will take care of my child when I’m gone?”
More families find themselves in this situation because the number of children diagnosed with developmental disabilities is increasing. Recent estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about one in six, or about 17%, of children aged 3 through 17 years have a one or more developmental disabilities that impair physical health, learning or language behavior.
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Supplemental Security Income Beneficiaries Will Get Two Payment Checks in May
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As Seen on The Epoch Times
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SSI recipients nationwide are usually paid on the first day of the month from the Social Security Administration (SSA), which makes payments to all claimants. But for May only, SSI recipients will receive their payments for June on the final day of the month, May 31.
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Must-Ask Questions for Corporate Trustees and Guardians
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Whether or not you’re planning to attend the next Parent University session on guardians and trustees, you may find these checklists of questions to ask helpful if a corporate trustee or guardian will be part of your “dream team.”
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See our upcoming events for the rest of the year on our website.
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