As a Special Needs Planner, my goal is to offer people with disabilities and their family's critical estate planning tools specific to their individual life situations. It's been 9 years since I partnered with Arnie Gruetzmacher, who passed away this past April. And it's been over 30 years ago that Arnie had the foresight to introduce this service to Minn. The primary purpose of Disability Planning Specialists' (DPS) was the same then as it is now~to assure parents and caregivers that there can be a quality of life for their loved one with a disability even when they are not able to provide care themselves.Before joining DPS in 2006, I worked 34 years for the Fed. Govt. in the field of human resources. Specifically for the Dept. of Veteran Affairs as well as for various agencies within the Dept. of Agriculture in the states of Neb., S. Dak., and Minn.DPS did not introduce me to the world of disabilities. Before partnering with Arnie, Carol, my wife, and I were thrown into the complex mix of the service delivery system when Vicki, our daughter, was born with Down syndrome. Carol and I share many values, not the least of which was teaching Vicki and her two brothers the importance of volunteering for The Arc, Down Syndrome Association of Minn., and our church, to name a few valuable resources. Vicki's gift to us was how we learned patience, determination, and persistence with her education, housing, employment, and medical professionals.Here's a few questions families need to consider when disabilities and special needs are involved:* How will you leave funds to your loved one with a disability and not lose government benefits?* How will you make sure those funds are well managed when you are no longer in the picture?* How will you know if there's enough money to meet your loved one's future wants and needs?* Who will take care of your loved one with a disability when you are no longer able to do so?Contact me for the answers to these questions and more.