Parents as Temporary Direct Care Workers for Minor Children
Updated 07/2022
In 2020, DDD announced that Parents / Guardians could become paid Direct Care Providers for their own children under the age of 18.
AHCCCS has also announced that this opportunity has been extended through March 2024.
Acadia Care Group helps parents become paid providers for their own children and parents may provide Habilitation Care Services and Attendant Care Services.
If Habilitation Care Services or Attendant Care Services are not part of the child’s service plan, your DDD Support Coordinator will need to assess your child for the service before it can be added to your child’s planning document.
Here’s the information about parents as paid providers from DDD:
PARENTS BECOMING DIRECT CARE WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What services can I provide as a parent ???
Parents are allowed to provide Habilitation Care Services and Attendant Care Services.
Can I still get Respite Care ???
Yes.
As a Parent / Guardian, you’re not allowed to provide Respite Care, but if you have another provider assisting your child, that person can continue to provide respite services.
Can siblings or other family members also become paid providers ???
Absolutely !!!
Children may receive their services from any mix of parent providers, employed family member providers or other employed providers.
Do I need prior experience working as a Direct Care Provider with an agency ???
No, you do not need prior work history in this field.
Your experience as a parent of a child with developmental disabilities satisfies the typical experience requirement.
Do I need a Fingerprint Clearance Card to work with my own child ???
If you do not already have a Fingerprint Clearance Card, DDD requires that you at least apply for the Fingerprint Clearance Card before providing services.
The application fee is $75.
Acadia Care Group does not cover this cost for parent providers.
The state of Arizona requires that applicants use a specific company for fingerprinting.
Here are the instructions:
To submit your application, go to https://www.aps.gemalto.com/az/index.htm
Click the Apply for a background check – Register.
Select Apply for a fingerprint Clearance Card and click New Application.
Select DES-DDD/HCBS-Home & Community Based Services-ARS 36-594.01 and then Proceed to Application.
Check Paid Employee Fee ($75.25).
Once your registration is complete, you may go to any of the approved locations to have your fingerprints scanned.
Please note that due to COVID-19, availability may be limited.
Go here to check availability and find a location nearest you:
https://www.aps.gemalto.com/az/locations.htm#!/
Are there any additional trainings required for Attendant Care ???
Yes. All providers must complete the state-required “Direct Care Worker Training” (DCW).
Parent providers must complete these requirements at their own expense within 90 days of starting services.
Additional ongoing monitoring visits and annual training hours may be required.
Are any required trainings & certifications offered virtually to parent providers ???
Yes.
First Aid / CPR and Article 9 training is required for all parent providers. A class schedule will be provided to choose a date and time that is convenient for you.
Parent providers are NOT responsible for covering the costs of First Aid / CPR and Article 9 certifications.
Do we have to be a current Acadia Care Group client family to become a parent provider ???
No.
You will just need to complete some intake forms and have your DDD support coordinator authorize your child’s service hours to Acadia Care Group.
What does Acadia Care Group offer parent providers versus other agencies who could employ me ???
As always, we encourage all parents to decide what is the best fit for your family when choosing which provider agency to utilize for your child’s DDD services.
Our mission is to help as many families as possible with individualized supports. We are known in the community for our focus on family-centered care, and extensive support for parents, providers and employees.
We have always strived to offer the best overall service experience for providers and families.
For this temporary parent provider arrangement, we are also committed to offering the highest pay rate that we can afford for parents as Direct Care Workers.
What if I have an existing Habilitation or Attendant Care provider working with my child ???
Any existing providers you have may continue working with your child. You may choose to fulfill any unused hours in your DDD authorization as a parent provider.
If your existing provider works for a different agency, but you would like to work for Acadia Care Group , you can split the authorization between the two agencies.
Another option is that you provider can apply to become an employed provider through Acadia Care Group using our standard job application.
If hired, we will match any existing pay rates that are above our standard pay rates.
How do I apply to become a parent provider?
Complete our online application and a member of our team will contact you with next steps.
You can access the Parents as Direct Care Workers application here:
https://form.jotform.com/acadiacaregroup/job-application-form
Contact us anytime at [email protected]