With so much to learn and understand, and so many resources available, it can feel overwhelming just trying to figure out where to start. It doesn’t have to be that way. By approaching your needs step by step and asking for help, you will receive the guidance you need to make the right decisions for your child. 

Beyond resources, there are real services available to you and your child. We’ve covered some of these elsewhere, including special needs trusts. Here, let’s focus on services that can support your child’s education. In particular, we highlight the Individualized Education Program and 504 plans.

The Individualized Education Program

An Individualized Education Program, or IEP, is a document that describes your child’s specific needs as it relates to their education. Typically, an IEP will include information on: 

• Your child’s current academic achievement and performance
• The goals you and the school team think your child can accomplish
• The special education services to be provided.
• How to measure progress

You can help develop your child’s IEP, as this is your right by law. Your participation is highly valuable to the school team assigned to the IEP, as this will help them understand your insights and corners, and develop a plan to reach the learning goals that benefit your child. 

Does your child require special education services? Learn how to request an evaluation for special needs services. 

504 Plans

A 504 plan is a formal plan that schools develop to accommodate children with disabilities. For example, they may give your child more time to turn in an assignment or complete a test. They are different from IEPs in that they aren’t part of special education. Explore some tips about what goes into a good 504 plan.

Find the answers you need on special education services

FND has created an information hub that includes answers to questions we often hear from parents, including:

• What is special education? 
• Who is eligible?
• What happens during an evaluation for special education services?

Find the answers to these and dozens more questions about special education that matter to you as a parent.

Special Needs Planning includes special needs trusts, which allow people with physical and/or mental disabilities to receive income without affecting their eligibility to receive disability benefits.

As the parent of a child with special needs, consider the money you’ll need to pay for care and save for the future, and where you can go for financial assistance.  Ask who will care for your child if something happens to you or your spouse. Eparent.com helps guide you through these issues with its “Financial Planning Guide for Parents of a Child With Special Needs.”

In this guide, you’ll understand how to create a timeline of the financial expenses you’ll want to cover throughout different phases of your child’s life. It also addresses issues like transition planning, life insurance, and special needs trusts, which we look at in the next section.

Special Needs Trusts

Family Network on Disabilities (FND) offers full-service trust administration in Florida. As a reminder, Special Needs Trusts allows someone with a physical or mental disability to receive income without affecting their eligibility to receive disability benefits. This helps them maintain their quality of life by having the funds they need.

Our four areas of trust service expertise include:

• Individual Special Needs Trusts. These help a person with disabilities protect their assets while also ensuring they can receive public benefits.
• National Pooled Trusts. This is a kind of special needs trust that is established and administered by a not-for-profit organization. It has the same benefits, but different accounts are pooled together so you don’t have to set up and administer a separate trust.
• Settlement Protection Trusts. A Settlement Protection Trust, or SPT, places lawsuit settlement funds into a trust to keep them safe. This enables the beneficiary to pay their bills, plan for financial freedom, and make periodic investments designed to generate wealth. 
• Family Pooled Fund. As with National Pooled Trusts, the Family Pooled Fund gathers together funds from participants who contribute their own money for the benefit of a loved one with disabilities.

FND Trust Services is led by a highly experienced team that is dedicated to efficiency and transparency in our trust administration. Our approach enables us to help thousands of beneficiaries each year. FND Trust Services will:

• Help plan, establish, and maintain a trust
• Give beneficiaries a reliable point of contact
• Ensure beneficiaries have access to the funds they need, when they need them 

Learn more about our staff and their dedication to serving beneficiaries and their families. 

You can rely on us because we are fully transparent, and our system is designed to give beneficiaries access to their funds when they need them. To learn more about our trust services, call (727) 291-8046 or contact us online.