Family Support
Family Support Services
(Formerly Family Resources)
What is Family Support Services? Family Support Services (FSS) is a program that provides supports, services, and help to enable a family to care for their family member with disabilities at home and to enhance the quality of life for that family, including the individual with developmental disabilities.
Who can receive FSS? If you have a family member with mental retardation or other developmental disability (mr/dd) living at home, he or she may be able to receive FSS. The family member with disabilities must be eligible for County Board MR/DD services, even if he or she is not receiving County Board assistance. Eligibility is determined by the Intake/Eligibility Coordinator at the County Board.
What items and services are provided? Examples are respite care by specially trained providers or persons chosen by the family, adaptive equipment, home modifications to accommodate the family member with disabilities, special diets, other services individualized to each family’s needs, such as counseling, wheelchair repair, educational software, television closed captioning, sign language books, exercise bicycles, and more.
How much will FSS covered items and services cost each family? Families are required to make co-payments based on a sliding scale established by the State. Co-pay is determined each fiscal year based on the taxable income for the family for the previous year.
Annual Taxable Income Family Co-payment
$27,258 or less 0%
$27,259 to $37,759 10%
$37,760 to $48,260 30%
$48,261 to $62,261 50%
$62,262 to $79,762 75%
$79,763 and above 100% of cost
Who provides the funds for FSS? FSS is administered through County Boards of MR/DD. The funds are provided by the Ohio Department of MR/DD. Geauga County supplements the State funds with local funds and accepts donations from community organizations, most notably the Family and Friends of Metzenbaum.
Who determines whether requests are funded? County Boards of MR/DD will fund family requests if the following guidelines are met: the individual is eligible for services, the County Board has funds available, the items or services are available, the request cannot be funded by other sources, and the request is consistent with FSS philosophy, especially the requirement that the request be related to the individual’s disability.
Other information:
The eligible individual must live at home (not a foster home).
The family must complete an FSS application and submit an income form with the family’s total taxable income for the previous year. The income form is updated each fiscal year.
The first eligible individual in the family can receive up to $1,000.00 per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). Each additional eligible family member may receive up to $750.00 per fiscal year.
FSS funds are allocated on a first-come first-served basis as long as the program has funds available. Availability of funds generally fluctuates throughout the fiscal year.
All FSS requests MUST be made and money encumbered BEFORE the service takes place. No funds will be paid out for goods or services not encumbered properly.
Related Documents
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Application for Family Support Services
Family Support Services Income Verification Form