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For families planning ahead

A secure future for the child

you love.

When your child has an intellectual disability, the hardest question is what happens when you’re no longer there to help.

You can plan for it - calmly, step by step - and you don’t have to figure it out alone.

You’ve spent their whole life caring for them.

The plan you make now is how that care continues - through every stage of their life, and beyond your own. 

We’ll walk it with you,
one manageable step at a time.

THE PLANNING ROADMAP

Start exactly where you are.

Good planning isn't one overwhelming task - it's a handful of right moves at the right ages. Find your child's stage and begin there.

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1

Foundations

Birth-12

Get connected to services, onto waitlists early, and avoid costly estate mistakes.

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2

Transition

Age 14-17

Get connected to services, onto waitlists early, and avoid costly estate mistakes.

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3

Turning 18

Age 18

The legal cliff: decision-making, adult benefits, and guardianship alternatives.

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4

Adult Life

Age 18+

Fund the special needs trust, settle housing, and build a circle of support.

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5

Continuity

Ongoing

Name a successor caregiver, prepare siblings, and leave a clear letter of intent.

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RESOURCES

Answers to the questions keeping you up at night.

Clear guides on the legal, financial, and everyday decisions families face - written without the jargon.

Lifelong Planning

Money & Benefits

Special needs trusts, explained simply

Why leaving money directly to your child can backfire - and how a trust protects both their inheritance and their benefits.

Lifelong Care

Legal and Decisions

Guardianship vs. supported decision-making

At 18 your child is legally an adult. Here’s how to choose the least-restrictive way to help them decide.

Future Planning for a Lifetime of Care

Housing & Daily Life

Why to join the waiver waitlist now

Medicaid waiver and housing lists can run for years. Getting on them early may matter more than any single document.

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ABOUT

Donald Bailey has spent a significant part of his career helping families turn the fear of “what happens next” into a calm, written plan.

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He believes every person with an intellectual disability deserves a future built around their own goals - and that no family should have to navigate it without a guide.

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His work centers on one idea: the care you give can become a lasting legacy.

Founder:

LIFE University Programs

A path walked, then mapped for others.

Lifelong Planning

The Five-Stage Planning Roadmap

A clear, printable guide to every step - what to do now, what can wait, and how to start. Join the families planning ahead and we’ll send it straight to your inbox.

No spam, ever.

Just helpful planning resources - unsubscribe anytime.

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