The Medical Motherhood Holiday Conundrum
Plus: New Zealand parents win paid caregiver jobs in Supreme Court case; U.S. Congress considers barring restraint and seclusion in schools; Cracker Barrel to pay $100,000 settlement to disabled kids
But seriously: What do you get for all of those folks? It felt overwhelming in elementary school, but now that my twins are in high school, there are even more teachers and staff to consider!
My personal philosophy is to give them a good treat at Winter Break (this year: a paper coffee cup filled with spritz cookies and a coffee gift card) and then give myself permission to ignore all the teacher, paraeducator, school nurse and other “appreciation weeks” throughout the year. Sorry, but I only have so much bandwidth!
I also love this time of year for really thinking about my interactions with each person on my list this year and how grateful I am for their presence in our lives. The cold and dark makes it easier to slow down and reflect.
How do you solve the Medical Motherhood holiday conundrum?
Exciting announcement for fans of Where is the Manual for This?!
Clarissa Kent, Disability Defender, has her own Etsy store! Check out the colorized superhero comic and other zines on medical life at Lenore Eklund’s new digital storefront:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisAsThat
Prices are very reasonable and just in time for the holidays!
Last chance sale!
Speaking of which, today is the FINAL day to get 40 percent off a Medical Motherhood annual subscription! THANK YOU to our new subscribers! Your support has pushed this Substack into spot 25 on the bestseller list of Rising Parenthood substacks. Just a few more could put us in the top 10! Feel free to give a gift subscription by selecting that tab at the top of the page.
Medical Motherhood’s news round up
Snippets of news and opinion from outlets around the world. Click the links for the full story.
• From The New Zealand Herald: “Family carers win landmark Supreme Court case defining them as homeworkers”
Two parents who care for their severely disabled adult children have been recognised as homeworkers and are entitled to receive the minimum wage after a landmark ruling today from the country’s highest court.
Now that they’ve been deemed to be employees of Disability Support Services (DSS), the families are hopeful the [New Zealand] Supreme Court decision paves the way for other carers in a similar situation.
[…]“For too long, many carers have felt invisible and undervalued. I hope that this decision gives them confidence to speak up, and that it drives real, lasting change in how disability support is funded and delivered across Aotearoa. No one should have to fight in court simply to be treated decently,” [said co-plaintiff Peter Humphreys in a statement.]
Independent disability advocate Jane Carrigan, who filed the original case in the Employment Court, said she’s delighted with the decision that may impact thousands of carers.
Fleming and Humphreys argued they were “homeworkers” and as employees of the Ministry of Health were entitled to be covered by employment law because they were providing the disability support services the Government is responsible for.
[…]In its decision, the court found [co-plaintiff Christine] Fleming was engaged as a homeworker because of a number of factors. These included the ministry’s awareness she was caring for Justin and that without this care the ministry would have to meet its obligations to him.
[…]It concluded the ministry’s offer of [2 hours per day] was “wrongly calculated and unreasonable, if not unlawful, due to the number of hours offered” knowing Justin required 24/7 care.
[…]Fleming said she hoped that whatever system DSS came up with moving forward it would be simple, easy-to-use and set up for family carers living in their own home.[…]
• From Congressman Dan Beyer (Press Release*): “ House and Senate Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Students from Dangerous Seclusion and Restraint Practices”
House and Senate education leaders reintroduced the bipartisan Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint practices in school.
In the House, the bill is sponsored by House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08), and Representative Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08). And in the Senate, it is sponsored by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act would make it illegal for any school receiving federal taxpayer money to seclude children and ban dangerous restraint practices that restrict children’s breathing, such as prone or supine restraint. The bill would also prohibit schools from physically restraining children, except when necessary to protect the safety of students and staff. The bill would provide grants to train school personnel to address school-expected behavior with evidence-based, proactive strategies, require states to monitor the law’s implementation, and increase transparency and oversight to prevent future abuse of students.[…]
• From People: “Cracker Barrel Settles to Pay Over $100,000 After Alleged Mistreatment of Disabled Children”
Cracker Barrel has entered into a sweeping pre-determination settlement agreement with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) and the Civil Rights Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General following allegations that a group of elementary school students with autism faced mistreatment during a class visit to one of the chain’s restaurants.
[…]Under the terms of the agreement, Cracker Barrel will make several monetary payments. Within 30 days of full execution, the company must pay a “potential total of Seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) to the students ($7,500 per student),” issued through their parents or guardians.
[…]Beyond financial restitution, Cracker Barrel must adopt a series of policy and training reforms. The agreement states that the company, at its own expense, will retain law firm Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP to review its public accommodation policies and recommend updates.
[…]“This settlement underscores a truth we hold as non-negotiable: inclusion is not optional, and dignity is not discretionary,” stated MCCR Executive Director Cleveland L. Horton II in the announcement of the settlement, released on Monday, Dec. 8, shared with PEOPLE. […]
Read about the original incident in the Dec 15, 2024 issue of Medical Motherhood:
Could AI soon help us understand autistic kids?
Are you considering end-of-year giving? There are several reputable nonprofits where you can make tax-deductible donations and further the cause of disabled children and their families. If you have others to you like, leave a comment or reply to the email and let me know!
*EDITOR’S NOTE: I prefer to link to professionally produced news stories but if I can’t find one on a topic I feel is relevant and important to our community, I’ll link the press release. Just keep in mind that it is written from only one perspective.
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