Bill Overview
Title: Autism Family Caregivers Act of 2022
Description: This bill establishes a pilot program to provide training for caregivers on improving health and other outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities or delays. To carry out the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must award grants to, among other eligible entities, health systems and nonprofits to provide the training. HRSA must also establish a national center to provide technical assistance to grant recipients and to evaluate the program.
Sponsors: Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
Target Audience
Population: Children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities or delays
Estimated Size: 2600000
- The bill focuses on improving outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities or delays, meaning these children will be directly impacted.
- Caregivers, including family members, of these children will be impacted as they will receive training designed to improve the care they provide.
- According to the CDC, about 1 in 44 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), translating to significant numbers globally.
- Globally, it is estimated that around 1-2% of the population is affected by autism, which results in millions of children worldwide who would fall under the scope of this bill's impact.
Reasoning
- The Autism Family Caregivers Act of 2022 is intended to provide better support for families of children with autism and developmental disabilities. This means that caregivers will likely see a direct benefit in terms of their ability to care for these children.
- The pilot program ensures that resources are allocated to training health systems and nonprofits, focusing on the direct improvement and support of caregivers' skills.
- Caregivers will likely experience better wellbeing due to the enhanced ability to support their children, reducing stress and improving life satisfaction.
- The policy targets a set population with significant costs involved, limiting the scalability without subsequent funding adjustments or support. The $85 million in year 1 provides foundation support, but ongoing impacts will be monitored and assessed by HRSA's national center.
- The wellbeing scores reflect anticipated changes due to training and support, but are also cautious to include variance in individual experiences.
- Not all caregivers will be equally impacted, given varying access to resources and existing support structures, meaning that the impact will not be uniform across the demographic.
Simulated Interviews
Stay-at-home parent (Boston, MA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This program seems like a very positive step. I often feel overwhelmed and unsure how to best support my child. Training would be invaluable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Software Engineer (Dallas, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a relief to know that there will be structured training available. My wife can definitely use the support, although I wish it was more accessible.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Early Childhood Educator (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm excited about the potential professional growth in integrating this training into our educational settings, although I worry about whether the scope will be enough for all children in need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Farmer (Rural Kansas)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our family struggles to find resources. It's unclear if this program will reach rural areas like ours. I hope so, but I'm skeptical.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Nonprofit Worker (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We need grants like these; they empower us to expand our reach and effectiveness in supporting caregivers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
High school teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think establishing more structured programs will help parents like me feel less alone and more competent in providing care for my son.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Healthcare Administrator (Seattle, WA)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With more resources and training, healthcare systems like ours can substantially improve our support for these families.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
Retired (New York, NY)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been doing this for a while with little support. The program is promising but may be too late for some of us who have been struggling alone.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Research Scientist (Chicago, IL)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The national center's role in program evaluation is vital and could offer groundbreaking insights that will inform future policy decisions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this will encourage new teaching methods and integration of trained skills into mainstream education, benefiting future educators like me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $85000000 (Low: $65000000, High: $100000000)
Year 2: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $90000000)
Year 3: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $90000000)
Year 5: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $90000000)
Year 10: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $90000000)
Year 100: $75000000 (Low: $60000000, High: $90000000)
Key Considerations
- The program's effectiveness relies on the successful training of caregivers, which is contingent on adequate outreach and participation.
- Long-term benefits, such as improved health outcomes, are expected but not immediately measurable.
- Establishing a national center involves significant initial setup costs.