Fighting for Families of Children with Severe DisabilitiesWednesday 03/09/2025

One of Israel’s most urgent social crises: the struggles facing families of children with severe disabilities. JIJ attorneys recently took part in a special Knesset committee addressing this issue. The discussion, chaired by MK Hava Eti Atia, revealed the depth of the problem—parents left without essential state support, battling every day to provide around-the-clock care.

Testimonies from parents were heartbreaking. Many spoke of foreign caregivers suddenly resigning, stipends that do not cover even basic needs, and a complete lack of a backup system when help disappears overnight. Despite years of promised reforms, families continue to face impossible choices, carrying alone the weight of responsibility that should be shared by society and the state.

JIJ’s Legal Aid Department is now preparing a petition to Israel’s High Court of Justice, demanding structural change. Our goal is clear: to secure lasting solutions so that no family raising a child with severe disabilities is left abandoned.

As Adv. Gai Akoka of JIJ emphasized: “Protecting these families is not a matter of charity — it is a matter of rights, justice, and human dignity.”

Through our legal advocacy, we aim not only to highlight this crisis but to ensure that the voices of these families lead to real reform. Justice cannot wait.