Parents with special needs children have a tendency to focus on the major expenses, such as medical care. While these financial burdens are important and should be dealt with as efficiently as possible, it’s important to spend time considering the hidden or lesser-known costs of raising a child with special needs.
This overview identifies a few of those costs that you might not otherwise consider.
Costs Of Raising A Child With Special Needs – Childcare Needs Are A Challenge
Centres for Child Care services are abundant enough that most parents can assume they will be able to find the perfect setting.
This often isn’t the case for parents of special needs children. Childcare workers who specialise in working with special needs children are few and far between.
Even if you find a special needs daycare centre that’s equipped to care for your child, space may be limited.
In reality, many parents who couldn’t find child care services end up having to work less in order to care for their children themselves.
This lowers the income coming into the home when the need for extra money is at its highest.
You May Need to Finance Special Equipment
If your special needs child has mobility problems, you will expect the added expense of buying a wheelchair or putting more handrails or installing stairlifts throughout the home.
However, a generic query made with your child’s caregiver can help you learn of additional equipment requirements that will help you with your child’s mobility.
You may also need to buy a van to make transportation easier as your special needs child ages and matures.
A specially equipped walker or potty chair may also increase your spending costs in fulfilling your more immediate needs.
Discovering other equipment needs ahead of time will give you the opportunity to budget for them in advance.
Travel Costs are Higher
Travelling with a special needs child is more difficult and expensive.
Requesting special accommodations at hotels may not cost you extra in terms of paying your room rate. But the amount of travel you’ll be required to undertake will be more than the average family.
If you have to travel for medical treatment, you will visit out-of-town clinics. This means using more petrol, staying away from home more often, and getting meals from restaurants far more frequently.
These costs can add up quickly and destroy your budget unless you account for them ahead of time.
Don’t Forget the Higher Utility Bills
The hidden or unexpected costs you’ll face in raising your special needs child will depend on the types of disabilities.
For example, some children will need to rely on oxygen tanks or heart monitoring equipment.
The use of medical equipment in the home will drive up your overall utility usage, hence bills will be higher.
You can combat these costs by reducing energy usage in other ways, however. If your child relies on in-home medical equipment, try switching to LED light bulbs, get your HVAC system checked out, or look for gaps in window and door frames where treated air is escaping the home.
Energy conservation is always important, but it can be especially vital in reducing expenses for families with a special needs child.
Having a child with a lifelong condition like cerebral palsy comes with many costs.
Costs Of Raising A Child With Special Needs – A Summary
These are just a few of the lesser-known costs that come with raising your special needs child.
As other hidden costs occur to you, it can be helpful to create a list of them to ensure they won’t slip your mind.
By keeping a tally of these costs, you won’t get sidelined by a sudden financial concern at the wrong moment. It’ll also help you keep track of your damages in a lawsuit.
Last Updated on August 11, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
