by Mary Somoza

About the author: Mary Somoza is a member of the New York State Advisory Council of the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

One of the best-kept secrets of the welfare reform legislation [The Personal Responsibility Act of 1995] passed by the House of Representatives in March 1995 and passed in May 1995 by the Senate Finance Committee is the virtual decimation of the Supplemental Security Income program for children with severe disabilities. [The Personal Responsibility Act (HR 4) was vetoed by President Bill Clinton on January 9, 1996.]

This Federal program provides cash assistance of up to $458 a month to 900,000 low-income families to cover some of the costs of raising their children at home rather than in foster care, group homes or institutions. If the legislation goes through, 225,000 children—18,000 in New York State—would lose...