About the Children's Choice Waiver

The Children's Choice Waiver began February 21, 2001 to offer supplemental support to children with developmental disabilities who currently live at home with their families or with a foster family 0 through 20 years of age.

Children's Choice Waiver Services

  • Support Coordination 
  • Family Support 
  • Center-Based Respite Care 
  • Family Training 
  • Environmental Accessibility Adaptations 
  • Specialized Medical Equipment and Supplies 
  • Permanent Housing Stabilization
  • Permanent Housing Stabilization Transition

Therapies

  • Aquatic 
  • Art 
  • Music
  • Hippotherapy/Therapeutic Horseback Riding
  • Sensory Integration 

Note: Individuals who receive the CCW may also receive Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT).

Population Requirements

The Children's Choice waiver (CC) program provides services in the home and in the community to individuals 0 through 20 years of age, who currently live at home with their families or who will leave an institution to return home.

This waiver provides an individualized support package with a maximum cost of $20,200 per year, and is designed for maximum flexibility.

Youth who reach the age of 18 and want to work may choose to transition to a Supports Waiver as long as they remain eligible for waiver services.

Youth who continue in the Children's Choice Waiver beyond age 18 will age out of Children's Choice Waiver when they reach their 21st birthday. They will transition to the most appropriate waiver that meets their needs as long as they remain eligible for waiver services. This program is not intended to provide 24 hours a day support.

To qualify for the Children's Choice Waiver, a person must:

  • Meet Louisiana Medicaid eligibility AND
  • Are 0 through 20 years of age
  • Have an OCDD Statement of Approval AND
  • Meet the Louisiana definition for developmental disability with manifested prior to age 22 (Revised Statue 25:451.2, Paragraph (11) AND
  • Meet Intermediate Care Facility-Intellectual Disability (ICF-ID) Level of Care Criteria 

How to Apply

Individuals who have a need for services should contact their local Human Services District/Authority in order to go through the eligibility determination process. Once a person is eligilble for OCDD services, they may ask to be placed on the Developmental Disability Request for Services Registry (RFSR).

As each individual is added to the RFSR, the individual is screened to determine their urgency of need for services. An individual, who meets the eligibility criteria, is the highest urgency priority category(s) being served based on funding, and has the earlist RFSR date, will be offered the next available OCDD waiver opportunity that meets their needs.

The application process does not begin unitl a waiver slot becomes available. At that time, medical and financial determinations will be completed simultaneously to verify that the person has a developmental disability and meets the financial and medical/psychological requirements for an Intermediate Care Facility for the Develpmentally Disabled (ICF-DD).

Children's Choice Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

To access all documents and forms for the Choice Waiver, please click here.

The Medicaid Manual with all updated chapters can be found here.