Dear Searching,
For funding for adult day-care in Florida, it looks like there are two avenues for you to explore. Sometimes state aging agencies provide funding, but when I checked, it looked like the FL Dept. on Aging does not. The two options are:
1. Public funding through the state Medicaid program.
From the PAS Center's website state information page, click on
Contact Info and Descriptions for all State Medicaid Waivers. Ask if Medicaid covers the service in your state and if so, how eligibility works and what the coverage is.
This kind of service can be covered in two ways through state Medicaid - via HCBS Waivers and as a "State Plan" service. If covered by an HCBS Waiver, it will only be available for a certain population such as elderly or developmentally disabled, for example. If covered as a "State Plan" service, then all Medicaid beneficiaries who qualify for the service are entitled to it regardless of age or disability label.
Every state Medicaid agency operates differently - different services, different eligibility rules, different populations served, etc. If the service you provide is in high demand, but isn't covered, then consider advocating to have it added to the state Medicaid plan. A final thought on Medicaid is that even if adult day-care is not funded, check on "respite", too. Sometimes, "respite" will pay for short -term, intermittent day-care even if regular adult day services are not covered.
2. Private funding
The other method of funding is private pay. Since you mentioned that most of your clientele is low income, this may not be very helpful for you, but maybe helpful for others reading this. One idea to consider is that more and more people are using reverse mortgages to pay for long term services. Maybe a banker could help or refer you to someone who could provide more information about reverse mortgages and how they can be used to pay for long term services and supports.
Best regards,
Mike
