There are many afternoons when Sue Unangst comes home from work and aches to take a nap.
But even if her body would allow it, her mind would resist.
What if he breaks the windows in his room again?
What if he leaves the house and runs into traffic?
What if he turns on the oven and burns down the house?
“I live in constant fear that he’s going to die,” Unangst said of her 12-year-old son Bruce, who has level 3 autism spectrum disorder and other behavioral diagnoses. “He’s so high need, and it’s just me.”
Unangst is one of hundreds of parents and caregivers of disabled children across the state on a waitlist for services through MaineCare, the state’s public insurance program. Maine has long struggled to adequately provide both in-home and residential care for children with advanced behavioral needs, but the problem has worsened in recent years. …