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Tazewell County CPMT: Families reluctant to allow WRAP-Around services in the home, official says
Summary
A CPMT member said families often decline WRAP-Around Services because they fear providers entering homes could lead to child removal; the team agreed to continue offering WRAP as an available option and to raise it in family meetings.
Melinda Smith, a member of the Tazewell County School Board, told the Community Policy and Management Team on May 22 that WRAP-Around Services are available only to children with an educational disability who have a current individualized education program and that services must be delivered in the home or community. She said the county has funds for WRAP but many families resist services in the home because they fear their children will be removed.
Smith described a pattern of distrust that limits uptake. She told members that "getting parents to get on-board and allow services in the home is very difficult because of their lack of trust," and that some parents are afraid children will be removed from the home. Smith urged CPMT members to continue offering WRAP-Around services as an additional option when meeting with families.
Coordinator materials provided to the CPMT included a WRAP Funds Quick Reference handout explaining how the special education mandate may be used to fund nonresidential services delivered in the home and eligibility rules. The meeting record shows the program will continue to be offered; no vote or policy change restricting or expanding WRAP services was taken at this meeting.
The discussion matters for families and providers because WRAP is a locally available, nonresidential option tied to special education eligibility; continued low uptake could leave needs unmet despite available funding. CPMT members did not resolve the trust barriers at the May 22 meeting but noted WRAP will remain an option in family planning and service discussions.
