How to Find Your State’s Public Benefits for Children with Disabilities

Each US state has services set up for parents raising children with developmental disabilities, but since they all have different names and the available services vary wildly, it can be difficult to figure out what your child qualifies for to help fund their medical and therapeutic care.

Whether your child has a new diagnosis, you’re moving to a new state, or you simply need more help, here’s where we recommend you get started.

Each state has a department of developmental services that provides information for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their caregivers, but these agencies have different names depending on the state. For example, Montana has Disability Determination Services while California has the Department of Developmental Services (with Regional Center services under this department).

The services provided by these agencies (and their eligibility requirements) will greatly vary depending on the state, so the best way to find out what’s available for your child is to reach out. To find the disability agency in your state, including their website and contact information, check this list from the National Association of DDS.

Medicaid uses federal funds to provide health care for individuals with limited income, but it's administered at the state level, so every state has its own Medicaid program known by various names. Use this list to look up the Medicaid program in your state.

Although Medicaid is an income-based program, your state likely has a waiver that allows children with disabilities to receive coverage even if their parents’ income is too high for the Medicaid limit. (These are often termed Katie Beckett waivers or TEFRA programs.) You’ll want to look for waivers that have HCBS in the title, which stands for Home and Community-Based Services. The website kidswaivers.org is a great resource to find waiver programs in your state.

Each state and each waiver program sets its own criteria for which children are eligible, so your state’s Medicaid website should have information on how to tell if your child qualifies and how to apply. Note that some waivers have waiting lists because only a certain number of individuals are allowed in the program at once. Note also that immigration status can affect Medicaid eligibility in some states; check this website from the National Immigration Law Center to see what applies in your state.

If you have private insurance through your employer or a health plan marketplace, your child’s Medicaid coverage doesn’t replace private insurance; if your provider accepts Medicaid, you should be able to use both.

SSI provides monthly cash benefits to low-income adults whose disabilities prevent them from substantial employment, and some children with disabilities are also eligible for benefits if their parents have limited income. SSI is a federal program, so eligibility criteria will be the same no matter what state you live in. Check out our article about Social Security Administration programs to learn more.

If your child qualifies for SSI, they may be able to automatically qualify for other government benefits programs, including Medicaid health coverage.

Disability advocacy organizations won’t directly provide benefits, but they can help you navigate your state’s programs and understand your child’s rights under disability law. Some organizations also provide low-cost advocacy or legal services. We recommend that you first turn to your state’s agency in the National Disability Rights Network. Most are called Disability Rights [State] but not all; look up your state on this list. The Arc is another reputable resource for disability advocacy with local chapters all over the country to help you pinpoint information specific to your state. You can look up your local Arc organization here.

Nonprofit organizations that serve families with your child’s diagnosis can also be good sources for help and support. For example, the Autism Society and the National Down Syndrome Congress have web pages where you can look up the local chapter(s) in your state. Find more organizations that serve specific developmental disabilities in our article here. Many of them facilitate support groups for parents, which can help you connect with other families in your area and learn from their knowledge and experience of local public benefits programs.