We're excited to announce our second 2023 Parent University webinar class, "Special Needs Trusts: The Who's, The What's and The Whys," to be held on Thursday, February 23 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CT.   

It's free, but registration is required.  Please click here to register.  

Class description: Special needs trusts are a key part of planning for your child’s future, but for many parents, it’s also a daunting topic. In this educational webinar we’ll break it all down into understandable terms, addressing such key questions as:

• What are the benefits of creating a trust—and does it make sense for your family?
• What kind of trust is best for your situation?
• How do you pick the right attorney?
• What do you look for when choosing trustees?

Join Mary Anne and her guest speakers for this online Zoom class—and learn more about this important topic.

Can’t attend, but interested? Register for the class, and we’ll provide you with a link to the recorded video later.  

Sidenote: We’ve recently enhanced our Zoom security. When you register for the webinar, you’ll receive an email with a link to the class, plus a passcode—which you’ll be asked to enter when you log-on. (Also, to minimize disruption, we'll close the class at 12:05, so if you’re late to arrive, your option will be to watch the video later.) 

We hope you'll join us!

If your child receives Medicaid benefits, you may need to take steps to ensure your child isn’t inadvertently dropped from the program in the months ahead. 

Here’s why: the extra federal funding provided to state Medicaid programs during the pandemic ends in May. As a result, states will be reevaluating beneficiary eligibility--and some experts worry that those with developmental disabilities may be accidentally terminated in the process.

But there are steps you can take to ensure your child continues to receive benefits, including:

• If you moved during the pandemic, make sure your Medicaid office has your correct address and contact information. You don’t want to miss a notification.  

• If you receive a letter or email from your state's Medicaid office, be sure to respond promptly and fully. You may be asked to confirm that your address is current and that your child remains financially eligible for benefits.

• If for some reason your child’s benefits are terminated, you can appeal. If you have an attorney, you may want to contact them. If you don’t, you can ask us for a recommendation.

You can read more about these changes to Medicaid here.

If you receive SNAP benefits via the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, your monthly benefit amount was increased during the pandemic. Now, those emergency allotments, or EAs, are ending, which means SNAP benefits will return to pre-pandemic levels. (Some states have already ended their EAs, but all remaining states will end them by March.) 

Also, be advised: if your household receives both SNAP and Social Security benefits, you may see an additional decrease in your SNAP benefits. Why? To offset the significant cost of living increase (COLA) to Social Security benefits that took effect at the beginning of the year.

You can find more information, plus common Q &As, on the USDA website.

There's always something happening at Protected Tomorrows--here's our latest news!

Mary Anne Joins the Board of Directors of Integrative Touch

At Protected Tomorrows, we're deeply involved with the not-for-profit community. Mary Anne recently joined the Board of Directors of Integrative Touch, an innovative organization that supports and empowers children with special medical needs—as well as their families and medical providers.

A leader in the field of pediatric integrative medicine, Integrative Touch is working to change the way children with special needs experience healthcare, by relieving pain and anxiety and improving quality of life.

One of Mary Anne's first projects is to assist in the creation of a first-of-its-kind Healing Center, located in in Tuscon, Arizona. The center will offer a range of integrative healing therapies, workshops, support groups and more. Learn more at integrativetouch.org.

In the News: Our Story

We were recently profiled by a local Chicago paper that was interested in how Protected Tomorrows came to be. Every special needs family has a story—and this was a chance to share ours.

Protected Tomorrows wouldn’t exist without Marcia, Mary Anne Ehlert’s baby sister. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Marcia lived a full, happy, productive life—and delighted everyone around her with her infectious laugh.

Marcia taught Mary Anne the nobility of caregiving and the need to protect her future through financial planning. That’s what inspired Mary Anne to create Protected Tomorrows--and to help other families just like her own. 

If you’re new to Protected Tomorrows, this story will help you get to know us.

Upcoming Webinars & Events, First Quarter, 2023