When your baby suffers a birth injury, it can be difficult for the entire family. In addition to feelings of sadness, disappointment, and anger, you also have to figure out how to move forward, which can be confusing and challenging. Thankfully, you’re not alone. There are many resources available to you to help you medically, emotionally, and financially. With all of the help available to you, you should be able to form a comprehensive plan for properly caring for your child – and yourselves. 

Below, we gather a variety of sources that you can look into for help and assistance.  

Informational Resources

Being able to access accurate, helpful information is key for families of children with birth injuries. The resources below are trusted and authoritative.

• March of Dimes - This organization provides informational resources to families dealing with birth injuries or birth defects.

• ADA - The ADA website provides essential information about the Americans with Disabilities Act including regulations, cases, and more.
• Ability List - This website helps people with disabilities share medical resources, events, opportunities, and other information with one another.
• Baby Center - BabyCenter offers information on pregnancy, babies, and toddlers. Information about child development milestones may be particularly helpful.
• National Rehabilitation Information Center - This website offers many tools for disabled people including resources on education, mental health, employment, financial aid, and more.
• Disability Resource Network - This website offers information about supportive services for people with disabilities including transition programs, alternative education programs, advocacy, and more.

Support Groups

Support groups exist both online and in person all over the world. These offer information as well as emotional support. 

• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) - UCP offers support and specific service through affiliate groups in different communities.
• The Disability Network -The Disability Network is an online support group providing people with disabilities and their families with independent living support, information and referrals, peer support, and advocacy, as well as other resources.
• Cerebral Palsy Family Network - The Cerebral Palsy Family Network provides information and legal resources as well as a community in which families can share news, resources, stories, and support.
• CityData for Children with Special Needs - This discussion board for parents of children with special needs is a place to share information, ask and answer questions, and seek general support.
• Facebook - Facebook offers several online support groups such as Birth Injury Support, Mother and Baby Birth Injury Support, and more.

Financial Assistance

One of the biggest challenges of dealing with a birth injury is paying for various costs such as healthcare and various forms of therapy. These resources help families afford necessary treatment.

• Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) - CHIP provides low-cost health insurance for families who do not qualify for Medicaid.
• Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) - WIC is a government assistance program helping provide nutritious foods, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
• Aubrey Rose Foundation - The Aubrey Rose Foundation helps families caring for children with life-threatening illnesses by providing grants for medical expenses, scholarships for educational pursuits, and gifts of food and toys.
• Children’s Charity Fund, Inc. - Children’s Charity Fund, Inc. helps families struggling with paying medical bills. They help pay for medical equipment and educational grants and offer a toll-free national hotline for handicapped children.
• First Hand Foundation - The First Hand Foundation provides funding for children for healthcare that can be used toward travel, clinical needs, and medical equipment.
• United Healthcare Children’s Foundation - United Healthcare Children’s Foundation offers medical grants for health-related services that are not fully covered by health benefits. 
• Variety – the Children’s Charity - Variety – the Children’s Charity provides children with serious illnesses, disadvantages, or disabilities medical services and health care including equipment for mobility and independence and communication and educational services.
• Children’s Brain Injury Association - The Children’s Brain Injury Association awards grants for special bikes, fuel, technology equipment, therapy, and other medical expenditures.

Miscellaneous 

Below, you will find resources helping families of children with birth injuries with a variety of things ranging from education to employment to recreation.

• Ronald McDonald House - The Ronald McDonald House charity helps families stay close to their hospitalized children at little to no cost.
• Head Start - Run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start offers education to preschool children of low-income families including children with disabilities. Participants receive a wide variety of educational activities as well as meals and snacks, health care and dental care, and more.
• Starlight Children’s Foundation - Starlight Children’s Foundation improves the quality of life of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and injuries by helping them find joy and have fun through entertainment, education, and family activities.
• Enable America - Enable America helps increase employment for Americans with disabilities.
• The Lexi Kazian Foundation - The Lexi Kazian Foundation improves the quality of life and comfort of children with special needs by lending out equipment.
• Wheel to Walk Foundation - The Wheel to Walk Foundation provides financial assistance to children under 20 with special needs who have challenges getting funding for equipment and services such as bath chairs, gait trainers, therapy tricycles, communication devices, and wheelchairs.
• VSA - VSA is an international organization encouraging the creativity of people with disabilities.
• Disabled Sports USA - Disabled Sports USA helps disabled individuals get involved in recreation, community sports, and educational programs.

Get Legal Help

If your child’s birth injury was caused by the negligence of a healthcare provider, you may be eligible for compensation for your losses. For help pursuing a legal case against the parties responsible for your child’s birth injury, contact a birth injury lawyer for a free consultation.