Future Planning Resources

Developed by By Their Side

• Future Planning Resource Guide By Their Side gathered parents and professionals to explore issues and resources related to planning for the future of an only child. Identified resources apply to families with siblings.

• Next Steps to Consider after Setting up a Special Needs Trust such as documenting information for future advocates, ensuring a Trustee will learn about your relative's financial needs, and planning support for your relative as he or she grieves your loss.

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

• Individual Profile Completed with Famlly 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 File 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.

• 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 provide this document to siblings and trustee.

• Advocacy Examples

• 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 a sibling

• By Their Side reviews on Great Nonprofits.org

Maryland Future and Estate Planning Resources:

• Planning Now (2018) 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

• Guardianship and its Alternatives--A Handbook on Maryland Law Published by the University of Maryland School of Law and the Maryland State Bar Association
• Maryland Health Care Decisions Act Process for selection of surrogate decision maker if someone is considered by healthcare provider to be unable to provide informed consent.

National Resources

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