Oftentimes valuable support to families can be in the form of financial assistance. This assistance must be related to the individual’s disabilities. Service Navigators meet with families to discuss their needs, and stipends can be provided within the limits of available funding. All expenditures are required to comply with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) Family Support Guidelines.

The Flexible Funding Allowable and Disallowable categories can be found on the DDS website on page 80, or Section VII, page 9 (see link below).

https://www.mass.gov/doc/2019-family-support-program-manual-and-guidelines/download