Australia: le famiglie con figli disabili avranno accesso fino a 30.000 $ all'anno per contribuire con un intervento precoce e di sostegno.
Wayne Swan (Tesoriere): "Crescere i bambini è già abbastanza difficile, senza l'aggiunta delle complicazioni che possono derivare una disabilità"
May budget set to deliver cash for families with disabled kids
FAMILIES caring for disabled children have won access to up to $30,000 a year in the May Budget to help with early intervention and support.
The $130 million boost to early intervention includes new support for autism and delivers on an election pledge to offer a $6000-a-year Better Start for Children with a Disability Payment from July.
Almost 9000 extra families will be able to secure up to $30,000 a year in assistance under the changes.
The Better Start for Children with a Disability Payment will help eligible children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, hearing and vision loss, fragile X syndrome, deafness and blindness.
The total support will include up to $19,290 a year in carer payments, $2900 in carer allowance, $1200 in carer supplement and a $1000 carer disability assistance payment plus the new Better Start payment of up to $12,000.
"Bringing up kids is hard enough, without the added challenges that can come with a disability," Treasurer Wayne Swan said.
"Caring for a disabled child puts a lot of strain on family budgets, so we're determined to provide as much help as possible.
"This is a perfect example of why we need to keep building a strong economy so we can make sure these brave young Aussies aren't left behind."
Programs for autism will also be expanded, after more children registered for the Helping Children with Autism package offered by the budget in previous budgets.
The scheme which was first launched in 2008 provides eligible children with up to $12,000 to secure early intervention including speech pathology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and psychology services.
While 9,000 children were expected to benefit, more than 12,000 families have now secured support with the government boosting funding by $30 million for this program to help meet the cost.
The additional funding will support 3,500 children access early learning programs including PlayConnect playgroups for children with austim spectrum disorders
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