Bumpy start to expanded special needs education voucher program stresses parents

Six of Lori Ann Carter’s seven children are heading back to school Monday, and the past week has been a blur of supply shopping, open houses and preparing the little ones for a new year.

The seventh child is starting school a week later, and he won’t be with his siblings. That’s because a week before the first day of school, the family found out his scholarship for the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship fell by $2,000.

Instead, he’ll be heading to the local Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support program, or GNETS, which assists local school systems’ services for students with disabilities.

Three of Carter’s seven adopted children have special needs stemming from exposure to drugs or alcohol before birth. They cope with a number of challenges, including autism, severe ADHD, extreme school behavior issues and cerebral palsy. One boy uses a feeding tube and requires constant supervision while eating.

Read more: https://georgiarecorder.com/2021/08/01/bumpy-start-to-expanded-special-needs-education-voucher-program-stresses-parents/