Changes to Funded Family Care Delayed

Changes to Funded Family Care have been delayed because of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Ministry of Health and Needs Assessment Service Coordination (NASC) organisation have been planning to transition current Funded Family Care arrangements to an alternative support option. However, the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the Ministry of Health has delayed changes to Funded Family Care. Changes to existing arrangements will not take place until everyone is operating in a business as usual environment. You can read on the Ministry of Health’s website what changes will take place effective from April 14. Some of those changes are:

• changes to eligibility about who people with disabilities can receive Funded Family Care from, this will now include partners, parents and family members
• increased pay, including raising the minimum wage and increasing the hourly rate to funded family carers
• removing the requirement for an employment relationship between a person with disabilities and a resident family member
• reducing the age for someone to be employed as a carer of a family member to 16

We have some information about funding on our website, including links to Firstport. You can also check the Ministry of Health’s website for all the information about Funded Family Care including the policy documents and who you can contact for more information.