Future Planning Resources

Developed by By Their Side

• Future Planning Resource Guide In 2015, By Their Side invited parents and professionals to meet and explore issues and resources related to planning for the future of an only child. Over six months, the group identified a wide range of issues, many of which are shared by families with siblings, and compiled the Future Planning Resource Guide to highlight Maryland and national resources.

• Next Steps to Consider after Setting up a Special Needs Trust As requested by parents, By Their Side's group also addressed additional steps such as documenting information needed by future advocates, ensuring a Trustee will learn about your relative's financial needs, and preparing others to support your relative as he or she grieves your loss.

• Frequently Asked Questions about Trusts and Trustees developed by Louise Michaux Gonzales, Esq.

• Sample Letter from Trustee to Team to remind your relative's support team that Trust funds are available, because staff change over time.

• Individual Profile Completed with Famlly to help guide future advocates and assure your relative's preferences, needs, and family advocacy concerns are understood in the future.

• Medical Decision Making An overview of options for support with medical decision making after parents are gone.

• Personal Information Notebook Index Keeping important documents together helps during medical appointments, intake interviews, and one day, when you are gone.

• Lifelong Planning An overview of planning through transitions from childhood to retirement.

• Letter of Intent Worksheet to help parents make their wishes known to the Trustee of their relative's Special Needs Trust. (See also the Letter of Intent Template by The Arc of Frederick County in Future Planning and Estate Planning Resources, below.)

• Sample Letter of Intent including arranging future By Their Side services if desired.

About By Their Side

• What to Expect When Services Begin Member families are encouraged to share this document with siblings and trustee.

• Advocacy Examples illustrate the benefit of an experienced By Their Side advocate.

• Family Perspectives

• Hear By Their Side's interview on Insight on disABILITY Talk Radio 680 WCBM AM. The interview starts 13 minutes into the program.

• Open letters from a parent and sibling

• By Their Side reviews onGreat Nonprofits.org

Maryland Future and Estate Planning Resources:

• Planning Now A publication of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council

• Future and Estate Planning Resources An overview and statewide resources from The Arc of Frederick County

• Special Needs Trust Attorneys in Maryland Maintained by The Arc of Frederick County

• Baltimore Sun Article: Special Child Needs Special Financial Planning

• Guardianship and its Alternatives--A Handbook on Maryland Law Published by the University of Maryland School of Law and the Maryland State Bar Association

National Resources

• The Arc's Center for Future Planning Learn about future planning, how to build your plan, resources, and see how others have planned.