Future Planning

Ensuring that the future of your loved one with special needs is secured, takes a lot of planning and consideration. From making decisions on supplemental needs trust to securing guardianship, ACLD can assist during this planning process. In addition, making a planned gift will ensure that generations of children and adults with developmental disabilities will continue to pursue an enviable life through the generosity of legacy donors.

Community Trust Program

ACLD’s Community Trust was established in 1997 in response to the needs and concerns expressed by families about the future of their loved ones.  It is a Special Needs Trust with Trustees responsible for its oversight.  We offer two options for both families looking to safeguard funds for their loved ones as well as for people with a disability who may have assets of their own.  Because the ACLD Community Trust is a Special Needs Trust, assets placed in the Trust will not jeopardize the eligibility for government assistance programs such as SSI and Medicaid of each person.

Trust A Master Document
Trust A Sponsor Agreement
Trust B Master Document
Trust B Sponsor Agreement

For more information, please call the Development & Community Relations Department at (516) 822-0028 Ext. 104

Guardianship Program

ACLD serves as guardian or standby guardian for several people supported by ACLD.  However, at this time, ACLD can serve as guardian only for adults in the ACLD Residential Program.

Guardianship is a planning alternative that enables parents and relatives to ensure that they, or others that they designate, may act as advocates with legal authority to maximize all necessary and available supports and resources for the benefit of their family member, who is developmentally disabled, who may require some level of assistance in managing their personal and/or financial affairs. A responsible guardian offers protection and support to vulnerable people by making decisions that harmonize with the person’s values and preferences, and to ensure respect for the person’s basic human rights, as well as access to benefits and entitlements.

Legal guardianship cannot be granted through, or specified, in a will.  It must be processed through the court system.  In New York State, when a person becomes 18 years old they are assumed to be legally competent to make decision for themselves. This means no other person is allowed to make a personal, medical or financial decision for that person. If a person is developmentally disabled, has difficulty making decisions for themselves and is over 18 years old, one can request that the Surrogate’s Court appoint a guardian for him or her.

Securing guardianship for a disabled person is a legal proceeding which takes place in the Surrogate’s Court of the proposed ward’s county of residence.  The guardianship process designates a parent, sibling, other relative, friend, or organization to act on behalf of a person with intellectual and other developmental disabilities and is complicated, requiring working with qualified legal counsel/services.

Evaluate your circumstances and those of your family member, who is developmentally disabled, so that their needs can be met most effectively by either themselves or an advocate who will assume care when needed.

If you are interested in pursuing guardianship for your family member, please contact your Service Coordinator for further guidance.

For further information, please contact Artesha Tyler-Granville, Chair of Guardianship Committee at (516) 822-0028 Ext. 262

Planned Giving

The ACLD Foundation is the primary source of philanthropic support for ACLD which provides a variety of programs and services to the Long Island community.

The vital services ACLD provides to more than 3,000 children and adults across Long Island enable each person to pursue an enviable life. The ACLD Foundation strives to ensure that future generations will benefit from ACLD’s programs and services – and your planned gift can help us carry out this mission.

Consider supporting the ACLD Foundation through a bequest in your will, trust, or other planned giving instrument.

For more information on making a Planned Gift, please contact the ACLD Foundation at (516) 822-0028 Ext. 206