How the Family CNA Model Changed Our Lives A Personal Reflection

When people ask me why I care so deeply about policy systems and the future of home and community based services, I always come back to one truth. My family has lived the consequences of those decisions. We have felt the impact both when systems fail and when they finally get something right.

One of the most transformative right things for our family has been the Family CNA model.

A Program That Met Us Where We Were

Before becoming a Family CNA our lives were shaped by constant instability. My son’s medical complexity requires round the clock vigilance specialized care and an understanding of his needs that only comes with living them every single day. Like so many families we faced:

• Frequent hospitalizations
• Rotating caregivers with inconsistent training
• Gaps in authorized nursing hours
• The emotional and financial strain of trying to keep our son safe while maintaining normalcy for the rest of our family

The Family CNA program didn’t just add support. It changed everything.

By becoming trained and certified to provide a portion of his skilled care I could step into the stability he needed without sacrificing essential oversight or burning out. It meant my son no longer had to choose between safety and familiarity. He finally had both.

Real Outcomes You Can See and Feel

Since joining the program the difference in my son’s health has been undeniable. His hospitalizations have decreased. His daily care is more consistent. We can intervene early instead of constantly reacting to crises. The emotional stability that has returned to our home has been more profound than I ever expected.

This is not about convenience. This is about survival dignity and quality of life.

Walking Beside Families and Providers

Working with Team Select through this process has shown me what true partnership looks like. They have built a program centered in safety training and measurable outcomes. Their team understands the lived experience of medically complex families and they treat parents as essential members of the care team.

They did not just build a program. They built a pathway to stability for families who were drowning.

From training to ongoing support Team Select has always leaned into collaboration and compassion. Their leadership has been a powerful example of what is possible when families and providers work together to improve care.

Sharing Our Story on a National Stage

Recently I had the opportunity to share our experience with state Medicaid leaders congressional staffers and advocates from across the country during a national webinar on the Family CNA model and the white paper by Team Select and Manatt. Speaking about our journey reminded me how many families are still waiting for the same stability we have been fortunate to find.

That is why this work matters. Families should not have to fight this hard to keep their children safe at home.

Looking Forward

I believe this model should be available in every state. Families who are already providing complex medical care deserve paid training recognition and support. They deserve programs that prevent hospitalizations keep children home and allow families to stay housed and self sufficient.

Our kids deserve systems that help them live not systems they constantly have to survive.

Why I Keep Speaking Up

Every time I share our story I hope it helps decision makers understand what is at stake. The Family CNA model reduced hospitalizations for my son improved his continuity of care and stabilized our entire family. I am grateful every day for what this program has meant for us and determined to make sure other families can access the same support.

The National Call to Action

The truth is programs like this are not available in most states because of ten words in federal statute. Current federal law still prohibits Medicaid from paying family caregivers. Ten words shut families out of the care workforce and force children into unnecessary hospitalizations or institutional care. The Pay Family Caregivers National Coalition is working to change this by urging Congress to remove these ten words from Section 1905(a)(24) of the Social Security Act, "...an individual who is qualified to provide such services and who is not a member of the individual's family." 

 Removing these ten words would:

• Allow states to pay qualified family caregivers
• Maintain all quality and training requirements
• Reduce hospitalizations
• Reduce emergency room visits
• Keep families together
• Support children’s mental and physical health
• Use existing Medicaid structures efficiently

This is a bipartisan practical and humane solution to the caregiver crisis.

Families like mine are proof of what is possible when parents are trained supported and able to provide the skilled care their children already rely on every day. My hope is that one day this stability will not depend on your zip code. It will be a right not a privilege.

If you care about medically complex children disability rights home based care or basic human dignity I invite you to stand with us. Support the Pay Family Caregivers National Coalition and help us remove the ten words that are standing in the way of stability safety and family preservation for millions.

Removing ten words can transform lives.