---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 15091"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "15091"
heading: "Findings, purposes, and policy"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/15091"
units:
  - "Chapter 144 — Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights"
  - "Subchapter II — Family Support"
---

# §15091. Findings, purposes, and policy

- (a) **Findings—** Congress makes the following findings:
  - (1) It is in the best interest of our Nation to preserve, strengthen, and maintain the [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A).
  - (2) [Families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities provide support, care, and training to their children that can save [States](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5) millions of dollars. Without the efforts of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) caregivers, many persons with disabilities would receive care through [State](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5)-supported out-of-home placements.
  - (3) Most [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities, especially [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) in unserved and underserved populations, do not have access to [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-centered and [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-directed services to support such [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) in their efforts to care for such children at home.
  - (4) Medical advances and improved health care have increased the life span of many people with disabilities, and the combination of the longer life spans and the aging of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) caregivers places a continually increasing demand on the finite service delivery systems of the [States](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5).
  - (5) In 1996, 49 [States](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5) provided [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support initiatives in response to the needs of [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities. Such initiatives included the provision of cash subsidies, respite care, and other forms of support. There is a need in each [State](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5), however, to strengthen, expand, and coordinate the activities of a system of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support services for [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities that is easily accessible, avoids duplication, uses resources efficiently, and prevents gaps in services to [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) in all areas of the [State](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5).
  - (6) The goals of the Nation properly include the goal of providing to [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities the [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support services necessary—
    - (A) to support the [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A);
    - (B) to enable [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities to nurture and enjoy their children at home;
    - (C) to enable [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities to make informed choices and decisions regarding the nature of supports, resources, services, and other assistance made available to such [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A); and
    - (D) to support [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) caregivers of adults with disabilities.
- (b) **Purposes—** The purposes of this subchapter are—
  - (1) to promote and strengthen the implementation of comprehensive [State](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-5) systems of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support services, for [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) with children with disabilities, that are [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-centered and [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-directed, and that provide [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) with the greatest possible decisionmaking authority and control regarding the nature and use of services and support;
  - (2) to promote leadership by [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) in planning, policy development, implementation, and evaluation of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support services for [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities;
  - (3) to promote and develop interagency coordination and collaboration between [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) responsible for providing the services; and
  - (4) to increase the availability of, funding for, access to, and provision of [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) support services for [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities.
- (c) **Policy—** It is the policy of the United States that all programs, [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2), and activities funded under this subchapter shall be [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-centered and [family](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A)-directed, and shall be provided in a manner consistent with the goal of providing [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) of children with disabilities with the support the [families](/usc/42/15092.md?p=a-2-A) need to raise their children at home.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–402, title II, § 202, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1728.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

For short title of this subchapter as the “Families of Children With Disabilities Support Act of 2000”, see section 201 of Pub. L. 106–402, set out as a note under section 15001 of this title.