Dear Undivided community,
Happy New Year! I want to thank you for being part of our community as we work together to build a world in which every child with disabilities and developmental delays can access the services and supports they need, when they need them.
As we welcome in 2024, I am proud of the progress we made in 2023 and thrilled to build on that foundation in the new year. We at Undivided learned so much in 2023, and we continue to apply what we learned to accelerate progress in the year to come. Here are two big eye-openers I want to share with our community:
1. Misunderstandings about who qualifies for benefits are a primary cause of parent stress, loss of time, and, most importantly, a significant barrier to getting children the care they need. Parents face a lack of transparent communication from the various systems they’re trying to access.
- Where did we learn this? We conducted polls and surveys throughout the community and found that the majority of parents spend more than three hours per week researching care and benefits for their children. Despite so many systems and so much money spent by the state, insurance, and nonprofits, parents have to overcome the hurdle of a lack of training and transparency.
- One meaningful example: In the case of In-Home Support Services (IHSS), 60% of the families who likely qualify for services do not currently receive benefits. Many of these families were at some point incorrectly told they do not qualify, or they simply are unaware of the program. IHSS ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 in monthly caregiver support on average. This means the next time you are in your OT or speech therapist’s waiting room, every other family there could be missing out on $24K-$60K each year from IHSS alone.
2. Parents not speaking openly about their challenges and their children’s needs and experiences is a major impediment to necessary change. Whether this silence is driven by stigma, lack of time, or the absence of community doesn’t matter, the impact is that people without direct personal experience don’t have any idea of how broken the system is.
- Where did we learn this? This particularly stood out to us in conversations with both employers and providers. In several discussions with Human Resource teams at large employers, we heard that they do not understand that a significant portion of their workforce is navigating these care challenges. We often hear something akin to, “I have never had a single employee mention this or ask for help in getting care for their child with disabilities.” On the other hand, providers fundamentally understand the complex challenges their families face, but their assistance is limited to those parents who ask questions or seek support. Ultimately, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
- Why this matters: If HR teams aren’t aware of the challenges that some of their employees are facing, they are not able to invest in areas to support them. If providers don’t realize that a parent is struggling to navigate vital systems, they are less likely to help a parent find the key that can unlock so much care and support.
In 2024, we are committed to continuing our drive for transparency and shared knowledge. This includes ensuring that parents can more easily understand and access benefits, as well as making sure the rest of the world understands where the challenges lie so that they can be properly addressed. I would love to find a time to better learn about how we have supported your family or what we at Undivided can do better. If you’re willing, please let me know the best way to connect with you.
Our entire team is looking forward to the year ahead as we continue to support hundreds of member families across California and thousands more who access our resources each week!
With gratitude,
Seth Besse
CEO of Undivided
How can Undivided help you tackle your to-do list for the new year? Check out this tour of our app and services on YouTube→- We love sharing wins from our amazing community of parents! Hear Jen’s story on Instagram→
- What are your biggest challenges for 2024? Get support in our private Facebook group for parents →
- We’re looking forward to making new connections in the new year! Join us on LinkedIn→
Undivided in the news!
We’re excited to share that KTLA featured Undivided again during a live segment last week! Two power moms, Navigator Jennifer Newsome and Undivided member Lelah, sat down with KTLA to talk about their struggles with navigating the complex systems parents of kids with disabilities experience, and how Undivided has empowered them with technology, expertise, and human connection. We’re grateful to Jennifer and Lelah for sharing their truth, which gives a voice to millions of families raising kids with disabilities. Our Navigator/parent relationships consistently inspire us, and we feel privileged to walk alongside our families in whatever way they need. Watch it on YouTube and then share!
Office Hours — ask an expert!
Public Benefits Specialist Lisa Concoff Kronbeck will be available for Undivided Office Hours on Wednesday, January 10, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. PST, where she’ll answer questions about funding therapies and medical supplies through Medi-Cal, Regional Center, and more. If you’re not an Undivided member but would like to join us, sign up here!
Plus: did you miss our holiday card? Meet the Undivided team, wishing you a Happy New Year!
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This newsletter was originally sent to our subscribers on 1/4/24. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this in your inbox, and check out our full library of articles, templates, and videos at undivided.io/resources.
