N.J. Families Face Uncertain Future

Aida Figueroa breaks down as she contemplates what the future might hold for her developmentally disabled son, Valentin Jr.
“What will happen when we’re gone?” she asks, excusing herself for weeping in front of a visitor.
With the intellectual capacity of a young child, Valentin will never be able to care for himself. That responsibility now falls on Aida and her husband. She’s 77 and he’s a 73-year-old survivor of heart-bypass surgery.
Their 45-year-old son is one of nearly 8,000 disabled adults on the state’s waiting list for placement in a group home and other community-based services. Even though he’s considered a priority case, his number is not likely to come up for years.