Families Struggle to Fill Gaps in Care

Jennifer enjoys a laugh with Rebel,
one of her family's dogs.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. -- Jennifer Jankowski of Toms River is a 14-year-old with Down syndrome. She is also autistic.Her mother, Elizabeth, works a late shift as a service clerk at Verizon, so she can get her daughter off to school in the morning. But that leaves a gap from when Jennifer gets home from school and when her father gets home from work around 4:30 p.m. If it weren’t for Jennifer’s older brother, Michael, 18, Elizabeth Jankowski says she doesn’t know who she would be able to get to watch Jennifer.