About a decade ago, Gail Engel in Loveland, Colorado, realized her grandson needed some help. Her daughter, who was in her 20s at the time, was overwhelmed by mental illness and couldn’t take care of her children. “She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 16, 17 years old, and so she struggled trying to get into her adulthood,” she said.
Engel’s grandson, Bryson, was having an especially hard time. He was diagnosed with autism, and more. “Come to find out he has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder from her drinking during that time she was pregnant,” Engel said.
Bryson was spending much of his time at his grandmother’s home back then. In 2014, when Bryson was 9 years old, “we decided the best thing to do was to adopt him, and we did,” she said.
Engel was receiving disability benefits at the time of some $940 a month from Social Security. Her health had deteriorated significantly in her late 50s, including chronic back and neck pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. She had to stop working as a bookkeeper.
“I knew that I just couldn’t function anymore,” she said. “Along with the stress of raising my grandson, it was necessary.”
The good news was that, through Social Security, she could also get a monthly check to help care for Bryson, who was now her dependent. “Once I adopted him, because I was disabled, I was able to get a child benefit, which was over $580 a month,” she said. “So yes, the financial support was very beneficial, and if I had not adopted him, I would not have had that resource.”
Engel is far from alone with her experience. More than 900,000 children of disabled workers count on Social Security benefits.
Bryson is grown up now. He’s 19 and still lives with them. Engel and her husband, Joe, have more time to pursue their passion — camping. They own a motorhome. “I love to cook, and so I had to have a big kitchen,” she said. “So, for a camper, it’s pretty good size.”
Bryson can’t always come on their camping adventures, but he’s doing well — he recently landed a job at a metal manufacturing company.