EASING THE STRAIN - ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF A FAMILY FUND GRANT ON MOTHERS CARING FOR A SEVERELY DISABLED-CHILD

Measures of perceptions of care-related stress and maternal adjustment were used to assess the extent to which receiving help from the Famil y Fund eases the stress of caring for a disabled child. A sample of 16 2 mothers completed a questionnaire before and after receiving help fr om the Family Fund. The findings suggest that the Family Fund has a si gnificant impact on mothers' perceptions of the stresses of caring for their child, as well as improving mothers' well-being and adjustment. However, receiving help from the Family Fund did not improve mothers' perceptions of the severity of the child's disability or the extent t o which the disability had adversely affected their personal lives.