Guardianship, SSI & Waivers: 3 Steps to Tackle Before Your Child Turns 18
If you’re parenting a teen with a disability, every birthday feels like a tightrope walk toward adulthood. I can vividly remember the day my son turned 18, and suddenly, the systems underneath us shifted.
I lost remote access to his doctor’s portal. At 18, he became an adult in the eyes of our system. Careful planning around guardianship, SSI timing, and waiver planning can derail the best-laid transition plans, and cost families months, even years, of critical support.
That’s why I built Navigating Disabilities Colorado (NDC): to help families leap those gaps with clarity, compassion, and practical support.
1. Guardianship, or Supported Decision-Making?
At 18, your child becomes a legal adult. Even with a disability, parents can lose access to medical, school, and financial info unless they have formal guardianship. Colorado’s court system offers a comprehensive Guardian’s Manual with instructions, forms, and timelines.
But guardianship isn’t the only path.
Many families are now using Supported Decision-Making Agreements, a less restrictive legal tool that allows your loved one to stay in charge while naming trusted adults to help with key decisions. This option offers dignity, collaboration, and less paperwork. However, in Colorado, it is very new and doesn’t even have a state-approved form yet.
Inside NDC’s Roadmap for the Waiver Journey, I walk you through both options, with templates and a decision guide that keeps your child’s voice front and center.
2. SSI: Timing Is Everything
Did you know you must wait until the month after your child turns 18 to apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
According to Social Security’s adult eligibility rules, your child is not considered an independent adult for benefits until the month after their birthday. Apply too early, and you risk a denial. Apply too late, and you might lose months of financial support or back pay.
That’s why I created a step-by-step SSI application prep timeline inside our free tools, so you’re ready to go with documentation that makes approval more likely on the first try.
3. Waiver Planning: Start at 14, Not 18
In Colorado, families can begin preparing for adult waiver enrollment as early as age 14. You don’t need to wait until your child graduates from high school.
If your child is currently on the CES or CHRP waiver, the next step is likely either the Supported Living Services (SLS) Waiver or the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver. But if you don’t begin transition planning early, you could fall off the waitlist, and lose continuous access to services like respite, day programming, and caregiver support.
My Transition Timeline Planner shows you exactly when to apply and how to stay eligible through each step.
What You Can Do Now
Here’s how NDC helps families like yours every day:
Use the Waiver Quiz to see which program fits your child
Join our next Free Info Session and get your questions answered live
Your child’s transition to adulthood doesn’t have to feel like falling off a cliff. Let’s build the bridge together