Family support in the United States: financing trends and emerging initiatives

Trends in family support spending and new programmatic initiatives across the country during the 1990s are summarized. Nationally, total spending for family support exceeded $1 billion in 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, spending for such services in the United States grew from 1.5% to 4% of total resources expended by state MR/DD agencies. However, we found considerable state variability in level of resources allocated to support families providing care to a member with developmental disabilities. Programmatic initiatives include trends toward family-directed services, targeted programs for special populations, such as ethnic minorities and aging caregivers, and the slow expansion of cash subsidies. Recommendations for the future course of policy in this area are provided.