Maryland Family Support Services Consortium. Final Report.

The Maryland Family Support Services Consortium is a 3-year demonstration project which developed unique family support models at five sites serving the needs of families with a developmentally disabled child (ages birth to 21). Caseworkers provided direct intensive services to 224 families over the 3-year period, including counseling, liaison and monitoring, and attendance at educational planning meetings. Data collected for each project site included service recipients, services provided, and their estimated cost. Among 26 types of services offered, the most frequently purchased were medical equipment and supplies, adaptive equipment, transportation, and respite care. Two issues affecting public policy were identified: (1) child care services for the developmentally disabled are either nonexistent or difficult to obtain; and (2) an increase in funding for family support services is necessary if such services are going to become a realistic alternative to residential programs. A fact sheet and four vignettes are appended. (JW)