- Target:
- Local Member of Parliament
- Region:
- Australia
- Website:
- maxsstory-faith.blogspot.com.au
My son Maxwell had a stroke when he was 10 weeks of age. He has brain damage, cerebral palsy, severe thrombocytopenia, sensory processing disorder and right-sided hemiplegia.
We attend multiple medical appointments/procedures, as well as physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Every day, I complete an intensive Neuro-Developmental rehabilitation program with him, on top of his PT and OT exercises.
I am not eligible to receive Carers Payment for the additional care Max requires. This is because the Australian Government believes that 'all babies require full-time care' and does not recognise infants with special needs. The current needs assessment for children under 16 years of age, is only designed to assess older children.
Ours is not an isolated case. Parents in this situation are informed that they will not be eligible until their infant is older and 'more disabled'. I am sending a message to the Australian Government, that infants have special needs too. I am asking that they review the current legislation that excludes parents from receiving Carer's Payment.
All babies require full-time care but some babies require even more.
We, the undersigned, call upon the Australian Government to review the current legislation that virtually excludes parents of special needs infants from receiving Carer's Payment.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Babies have Special Needs Too petition to Local Member of Parliament was written by Faith Valentine and is in the category Government at GoPetition.