Lauren's Story

Pals

     Both of our daughters started new jobs this month. Our youngest now works at a nearby convenience store and she likes it. The store is busy and the people she works with are nice. Our eldest who has an intellectual disability, has been partnering with WorkBC and through them has found a job that is not convenient but it is fun! She is working with horses and people at a therapeutic riding organization called Pony Pals in Delta and she loves it! HandyDART is getting her there and back everyday and the other women who work there are kind so it's great. 

     The resume and interview workshops offered by WorkBC were a big help. The director of the organization was very impressed by our daughter's preparedness and attitude. Although cleaning stalls, grooming, feeding and watering horses seems a long way away from house and dog sitting, which is what our daughter has been doing lately, it is a perfect fit. It is the connections with others, both human and animal which make for enjoyable and fulfilling employment.

     The therapeutic riding association where she now works offers riding and training in a calm, accepting environment and also education about equine health. The children and youth who attend have access to lovely, gentle horses and knowledgeable staff. Our daughter longed to reconnect with horses after having a pony as a young child so she is really happy about this placement. The work is physical and satisfying, the environment, friendly and inclusive. The only down side is that the commute is long compared to what she is used to but she is making good use of the time and enjoying the novelty of public transportation. 

     So far it looks to be a busy summer of work for both our girls. We are grateful for the opportunities given them and proud of the contributions that they are making. We know that every experience, positive or not, teaches valuable life lessons. And a big thank you to Munisha and Lisa of WorkBC for their diligence and kindness. We appreciate you!

"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way." Martin Luther King Jr.

     

Trust 2

     Whenever I think of "finances" my eyes glaze over: investments, taxes, dividends, stocks, mutual funds, even planning and wills....Ugh! You'd think something as vital as dollars and cents would hold my attention but it doesn't. But one of my sisters-in-law mentioned how it important it is that families with a disabled child investigate something called a Henson Trust. So I did. The disabled or differently-abled of the world are usually always under-employed and therefore often live in poverty. This is not a happy reality for parents to consider.

     A Henson Trust was named after the man who first fought and won his appeal to allow his disabled child to keep her disability cheque despite having benefitted from a trust that he had set up for her. His daughter Audra would not receive any legal claim to the trust but it could potentially pay for her expenses while allowing her to continue to receive disability support payments. I discovered a very helpful document published by TD Wealth that fully explains this trust called "Estate Planning with a Henson Trust". I am sure that your bank probably publishes something similar. It covers the pros and cons in an easy five minute read. The benefits to our disabled daughter are obvious. One of the problems of a Henson Trust is finding a trustee whose interests are not in conflict with the trust such as a sibling. As with all things financial and legal, the assistance of a trusted professional is vital.

     My largest worry as a parent of an intellectually disabled child is her financial future. Anything I can do to ensure her security after my husband and I have died is of the utmost interest to me. And sixty-five is looming nearer! So while I generally don't want to think about money, wills and the like, this topic, a Henson Trust is something that I am investigating further. And the sooner the better! Thanks Melanie....