Georgia families raising a child with special needs can get help from several programs at once, and most need more than one. SSI pays a monthly amount when family income is low. Katie Beckett gives a child Medicaid when it is not. GAPP pays for nursing and personal care at home, and can pay a parent for approved personal support hours. DBHDD and nonprofit programs cover much of what Medicaid does not.
At a glance
| What you need | Program | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| A monthly payment | SSI for children | Social Security |
| Medicaid when your income is too high | Katie Beckett | Georgia Medicaid |
| Nursing or hands-on care at home | GAPP | A GAPP agency you choose |
| Being paid to care for your own child | GAPP Family Caregiver Option | A GAPP agency |
| Respite, equipment, home and vehicle adaptations | NOW and COMP waivers | DBHDD |
| Therapies, camps and supplies | Family Support Services | DBHDD |
| Help after a Katie Beckett denial | Champions for Children | Easterseals Georgia Coalition |
| Saving without losing benefits | Georgia STABLE account | Georgia STABLE |
| Early intervention under 3 | Babies Can’t Wait | Department of Public Health |
SSI: a monthly payment for a child with a disability
Supplemental Security Income is a federal payment for people with disabilities and low income and resources. A child qualifies with a medically determinable impairment that causes marked and severe functional limitations and has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.
While a child is under 18 and lives at home, Social Security counts part of the parents’ income and resources as if it were available to the child. It calls this deeming. In Georgia, Social Security also decides Medicaid for SSI recipients, so a child approved for SSI gets Medicaid as well.
What changes at 18
At 18, Social Security stops counting the parents’ income and resources, and judges the disability by the adult definition. A young adult turned down as a child because of the family’s income may qualify on their own. If that happened to your child, ask Social Security about applying again at 18.
Medicaid when your income is too high: Katie Beckett
Katie Beckett, also called TEFRA, gives a child 18 and under Georgia Medicaid without counting the parents’ income, when the child needs the level of care of a hospital, a nursing facility or a facility for people with intellectual disabilities, and care at home costs Medicaid no more. GAPP requires full Medicaid, so this is often the first step. Our Katie Beckett guide and printable checklist cover the application.
Care at home, and being paid for it: GAPP
GAPP, the Georgia Pediatric Program, pays for skilled nursing, personal support and behavioral support aide services at home for children under 21 with full Medicaid, and eligible families pay nothing for approved services. Through its Family Caregiver Option, a parent or other legally responsible adult who lives with the child can be paid for the child’s approved personal support hours, as an employee of the agency. It never pays a parent for nursing, and foster parents are not eligible (GAPP manual §604.2, §604.3). Our step-by-step guide explains how, and who pays for private duty nursing explains the funding.
Long-term supports, equipment and adaptations: NOW and COMP
The NOW and COMP waivers serve people with an intellectual disability or a closely related condition who meet the level of care of an intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabilities. Their services include respite, specialized medical equipment, and home and vehicle adaptations. You apply through DBHDD, and people found pre-eligible go onto a planning list prioritized by need, so apply early. Our programs comparison sets NOW and COMP beside GAPP and Katie Beckett.
While you wait, or if you do not qualify
- Family Support Services, through DBHDD, help people diagnosed with a developmental disability obtain goods and services such as therapies, camps, incontinence supplies, dental care and nutritional supplements.
- Champions for Children, run by the Easterseals Georgia Coalition, helps children 18 and under who live at home, have a physical, cognitive, developmental or medical disability and do not meet the eligibility requirements for Katie Beckett, with therapies, medical supplies and equipment not covered by insurance. Children already on Medicaid are not eligible. Call the coalition at 1-866-584-3742.
Saving without losing benefits: Georgia STABLE
A Georgia STABLE account lets a Georgian whose qualifying disability began before age 46 save and invest for disability-related expenses, tax free, without losing needs-based benefits.
Under 3: Babies Can’t Wait
Babies Can’t Wait is Georgia’s early intervention program for children from birth to 3 with disabilities or significant developmental delays, run by the Department of Public Health.
In short
- Income too high for SSI or Medicaid? Katie Beckett ignores the parents’ income.
- At 18, SSI stops counting the parents’ income: apply again if your child was turned down.
- A parent can be paid through GAPP for approved personal support, never for nursing.
- Equipment, adaptations and respite come from NOW and COMP, Family Support Services and Champions for Children.
Not sure which of these fits? Tell us about your child. If GAPP is not the right program, we will tell you which one to call.
Common questions
What financial help is there for a child with special needs in Georgia?
Several programs, and most families use more than one: SSI for a monthly payment when family income is low, Katie Beckett for Medicaid when it is not, GAPP for nursing and personal care at home, the NOW and COMP waivers and DBHDD Family Support Services for long-term supports, Champions for Children after a Katie Beckett denial, and Georgia STABLE accounts for saving.
Does my income count when my child applies for SSI?
Yes, while your child is under 18 and lives with you. Social Security counts part of the parents' income and resources as if it were available to the child, which it calls deeming.
What happens to my child's SSI at 18?
At 18, Social Security stops counting the parents' income and resources and judges the disability by the adult definition. A young adult turned down as a child because of the family's income may qualify on their own.
Can I get help paying for medical equipment or vehicle modifications in Georgia?
The NOW and COMP waivers list specialized medical equipment and home and vehicle adaptations among their services. Champions for Children helps with medical supplies and equipment not covered by insurance for children who do not meet Katie Beckett.
Can I be paid to take care of my disabled child in Georgia?
Through GAPP's Family Caregiver Option, a parent or other legally responsible adult who lives with the child can be paid for the child's approved personal support hours, as an employee of the GAPP agency. Never for skilled nursing.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Community Health, Part II Policies and Procedures for Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) In-Home Nursing, July 1, 2025 edition, published on GAMMIS under Provider Manuals.
- Georgia Department of Community Health, Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) provider presentation, June 2023, published on the Georgia Medicaid Management Information System portal.
- Georgia Medicaid, Waiver Programs.
- Georgia Department of Community Health, Community Based Services.
- Social Security Administration, Understanding SSI: SSI for Children.
- Social Security Administration, POMS SI 01715.010, Medicaid and the SSI Program.
- Georgia Medicaid, TEFRA/Katie Beckett.
- Georgia Medicaid, New Options Waiver (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports Waiver (COMP).
- Parent to Parent of Georgia, Financial Assistance (Family Support Services, Champions for Children).
- Easterseals North Georgia, Champions for Children, and Easterseals East Georgia, Champions for Children eligibility.
- Georgia STABLE.
- Georgia Department of Public Health, Babies Can’t Wait.
Please read. This article is general information about a public program, not medical, legal or financial advice, and it is not a decision about your child. Program rules change. Confirm anything that matters with the Georgia Department of Community Health or with a GAPP participating agency before you rely on it.