Aussie mum's tearful plight highlights $29 billion NDIS challenge
As leaders from across the country meet to discuss the NDIS, one Aussie mum has shared her heartbreaking experience.
A struggling mum resorted to crowdfunding to pay for her autistic son’s therapy when his disability funding was close to running out and his daycare said he was not welcome.
The heartbreaking admission emerged as state and territory leaders met in Canberra to curb the rising cost of disability and health funding.
Kathryn Denny is mum to five-year-old Jaska who has level 3 autism spectrum disorder and is non-verbal. To continue to progress and thrive, the little boy requires intensive therapy and support which the NDIS funds.
When his NDIS funding ran down to just $5,000, Kathryn asked his daycare to cut back his therapy days down to just three days a week while continuing to take him to daycare from Monday to Friday.
Through tears, the downtrodden mum claimed the unnamed facility told her Jaska would only be welcome on the days he receives therapy, leaving her in a difficult position.
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a federal government program run by the National Disability Insurance Agency. It offers funding to eligible Australians with a disability. It helps support daily personal activities, therapy, transport, additional support as well as home modification, mobility equipment and more.
Once approved for NDIS funding, a plan is created and implemented which involves selecting service providers and monitoring the person’s progress towards goals. The funding must be managed by the individual or caregiver, or through a third party. Plan reviews help identify changes in needs, and ensure the individual remains on track towards hitting their goals.
Jaska’s challenging journey
Kathryn shared with her online following, her son has autism as well as a suspected intellectual impairment. To help him continue to learn and progress, he has been receiving hourly therapy at his daycare five days a week.
She detailed the “challenging journey” which involved slashing the much-needed therapy, postponing assessments and cutting back in other ways due to the family’s funding falling short of their requirements.
“He is running so low on his NDIS funding, he has five grand left which is supposed to last until March,” she shared through tears.
“The daily therapy he is supposed to receive at his daycare, which for 5 days a week getting that daily therapy is $900 a week. I called the daycare and I said ‘We have so little funding left, I hate to do this but would it be possible if we only did the therapy 3 days of the week instead of daily so we don't chew through as much funding.”
But the daycare later phoned back to explain that if the mum were to cut the therapy, he could not attend the special needs daycare on those days despite still paying the childcare subsidy.
“So because we can’t afford daily therapy, he’s no longer welcome at the centre,” she cried.
“Can you imagine the stress of your child's funding running low and being told he’s not welcome at the daycare? He’s only welcome on the days you can afford the therapy,” she said.
Community support for Jaska
After sharing her heartbreaking story, thousands reached out to Kathryn to pledge their support — and donate money so that Jaska could continue his therapy. “My heart breaks for you,” said one commenter.
“When it comes to NDIS, most businesses just see $$ and lose all their morals,” said another. Others came forward to share their own experiences of struggling with NDIS funding and support workers shared advice.
After a GoFundMe page was created for the family, they received an outpouring of donations which means Jaska will be able to continue his daily therapy.
“Never could I have imagined the amount of support we would receive from our online community. You came together and helped us more than you could possibly imagine, and asking or accepting help is not an easy thing for us to do.
Ballooning cost of NDIS
As the cost of NDIS rises by 14 per cent every year, leaders today reached an agreement to adjust the rate that states and territories contribute from four per cent to eight per cent with the federal government paying the remainder of the growing costs from July 2028. The leaders also agreed to jointly design additional "foundational supports".
In the 2021-22 financial year, the estimated cost of the NDIS was $29.3 billion, making it the third-largest program expense that year. By 2025-26, it's expected to surpass $50 billion.
Read more:
with AAP
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
