Last August, we moved Ben into an alternative family living (AFL) placement, about 90 minutes from our home in Charlotte. It was a three-bedroom house and Ben was given the largest bedroom with its own bathroom. A typical AFL in North Carolina operates like this: a person with disabilities, the client, moves in with another family, couple or an individual. The client lives in the family’s home and the family receives payment in return for housing, feeding and caring for the client. Ben’s AFL was unusual: A couple with extensive caregiving experience wanted to run a three-bed group home but needed to apply for the license through the state. They were willing to take Ben as the first resident in a house, separate from the one they lived in. The plan, according to the couple, was to get approval for the group home within a couple of months. We ordered Ben a double bed, headboard, 54-inch television, new sheets, towels and blankets. Friends helped us move him in....
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteI met you at Trader Joe's today when I was trying to keep my son from having a meltdown while we were waiting for Mom to find an item. I misunderstood you when you told me about Ben's physical issues (I was thinking he was physically aggressive like our son Justin). Way back when, when the internet was newer and I had maybe a little more time on my hands I had a website for our family. Unfortunately, since I don't use my Roadrunner emails, I missed the email from RR telling me to migrate my website over to their new system, so it got taken down. Luckily, the Internet Wayback Machine had copied my sites, although not all our pictures.
Here's what's left with a little blurb about Justin from several years ago:
http://web.archive.org/web/20071112093617/home.carolina.rr.com/mikesraremusic/justin.htm
I wish you and your family good luck with everything. Nice chatting with you.
Michael
Oh wow...what an awesome birthday present! You go mom! (And rock on fire department for doing that!)
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