New Oregon program pays parents to care for kids with intensive medical, behavioral needs — but few can access it

Shasta Kearns Moore helps lead the group Advocates for Disability Supports, which is pushing for parents to be paid for the complex care they provide for their children who have intensive medical and behavioral health needs. On July 1, a new program made pay available to parents of 155 of these children at a time, though more than 1,500 may qualify. (Leah Nash / InvestigateWest)

Calli Ross’s son Tennyson was assigned a number this summer. It’s 136.

So was Paige Hall’s son James. He’s 156.

And Shasta Kearns Moore’s son Malachi is 1,151.

The numbers, which top out at 1,349, mark the spot that each boy occupies on the waitlist to qualify for a new Medicaid program in Oregon: the Children’s Extraordinary Needs waiver, which allows parents to be paid for up to 20 hours of care per week that…

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