Financial counseling for families of children with chronic disabilities

A program to teach financial management skills to parents of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities was developed. To test the effectiveness of this program, a randomized, controlled prospective study was conducted of 115 families of children with spina bifida, 58 of whom received financial counseling while 57 served as controls. Significantly more frequent changes in behavior were found in the intervention group than in the control group at the end of the one-year study for 18 of the 68 variables, including such items as establishing records, using a budget, obtaining low-cost life insurance and taking appropriate tax deductions. Three-quarters of the families in the intervention group believe that the counseling program had had or would have a beneficial effect on the quality of their lives. Financial counseling may benefit families with chronically ill or disabled children.