Congress is considering creating a special day to recognize the parents of special needs children.
It won't change any laws, give us any tax breaks, or force the much ballyhooed health reform provisions to actually provide for our children.
No real change (no hope, either), no tougher enforcement of IDEA (that's the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), no governmental aide for families who pay out of pocket for therapies for their children.
Even as Congress -- and Sen. Harry Reid in particular -- turns its sights to the DREAM Act, the one that would give illegal immigrant children a shot at citizenship even though their parents broke our immigration laws, parents of special needs children nationwide continue to struggle to provide even the most basic care for their children.
Many of these kids are high needs and require incredibly expensive medical supplies and therapies. Others are borderline and may need only speech therapy or social skills classes.
With autism, for example, said to affect 1 in 110 American children, it seems Congress could get more bang for its buck if, as part of healthcare reform and education reform, it also bothered to reform the way states deal with their youngest disabled citizens.
But disabled kids don't vote, do they? The DREAM Act is all about kissing up to potential voters in the next election and Sen. Reid knows it.
The Bible warns against feeding children stones instead of bread.
What a pity no one in Congress seems to be paying attention to this. A day of recognition for parents of special needs children is like a big fat boulder right between the eyes. Meanwhile, we go hungry for answers, options, and hope.
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