For Families of Disabled Children

​This is an issue that has rankled with me for a very long time. After learning about a situation involving a friend from my high school days, I simply must go on the warpath.

Ever since women’s liberation sent women into the workforce, two incomes have been necessary in order for a family to survive. Well, that works if the children in the family fit society’s definition of “normal.” It does not work if one parent must remain at home to care for a child who is physically ill, severely retarded, or has another condition that makes it impossible to place him or her in childcare while both parents work.

Incredibly, childcare is not available to children with severe or long-term health problems. Families have been forced into bankruptcy and sub-standard lifestyles: first, by not being able to keep up with the high cost of living on a single income and, second, by the high cost of caring for a disabled child.

This country is guilty of two things in this regard: First, it expects everyone to fit into the same shape and size hole. If a child is a square peg, he or she simply cannot fit into society’s proscribed round hole. Period! Second, it pays no more than lip service to benevolent causes. It would rather fund research into the many colors of butterfly wings than to adequately support programs that truly benefit those in need.

If we don’t start helping our fellow man, then we have sunk to levels that are too low ever to be acceptable for the world’s most prosperous nation. We dare not become so arrogant that we forget that life does not run smoothly for everyone. We dare not lose our sense of humanity.

Yes, past programs have been abused by those who would take assistance they don’t need or deserve. That is no excuse for not helping those who have genuine needs. The answer is not abolishing the abused program. It is to add an enforcement division to each program in order to weed out the abusers.

Think about it. Then, contact your senators and congressmen and insist that We the People take care of those who need help taking care of themselves.