18: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw & guest Laurie Magulac18: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw & guest Laurie Magulac
UK Health Radio Podcast
Co-hosts Susanna Peace Lavelle and Jessica Patay speak with social worker and advocate Lori Magulak about the financial pressures on caregivers of disabled children, public assistance options and systemic barriers. The conversation blends practical resource guidance with Lori’s personal story of poverty, abuse, and rebuilding, offering validation and concrete starting points for families in hardship.
45:25•27 May 2026
Caregiving, Poverty and Courage: Lori Magulak on Supporting Disability Families
Episode Overview
- Caregiving for disabled and neurodivergent children significantly raises the risk of poverty, especially when one parent cannot work full time.
- Many families are eligible for support such as SNAP, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, TANF, Head Start and university-based student parent programmes, yet often don’t know these exist.
- Starting points for help can include 2-1-1 lines, local health and human services, hospital social workers, community health centres and developmental services offices.
- Safety in abusive or controlling relationships is presented as more important than maintaining a slightly higher income, with specialist agencies able to guide next steps.
- Financial struggle is framed as a systemic issue rather than a personal failing, and carers are urged to seek community, information and advocacy instead of staying silent.
“One of the things that makes poverty worse in families is that one parent is going to be not working full time because of the lack of structural support for caregivers in this country.”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This conversation widens the lens to include parents caring for children with disabilities, who are trying to stay afloat financially while carrying huge emotional loads. Hosted on UK Health Radio’s Brave Together Podcast, this episode brings together co-hosts Susanna Peace Lavelle and Jessica Patay with social worker and long-time community leader Lori Magulak.
The focus is squarely on caregiving, poverty and the often-hidden financial realities for families raising disabled and neurodivergent children.
Lori explains how easy it is for caregiving families to slip into long-term hardship: “One of the things that makes poverty worse in families is that one parent is going to be not working full time because of the lack of structural support for caregivers in this country.” She breaks down public assistance programmes such as TANF, SNAP, Medicaid/Medi-Cal, Head Start and university-based support for student parents, stressing how many resources go unused simply because people don’t know they exist.
The conversation also steps into more vulnerable territory. Lori shares her own story of leaving an abusive marriage, relying on benefits, and slowly rebuilding life as a single mum and student-parent advocate. Safety, she repeats, is worth more than “that extra few dollars”. Practical guidance threads through the chat: starting points like 2-1-1 helplines, community health centres, hospital social workers and disability agencies, plus honest talk about the fear and stigma tied to asking for help.
Susanna and Jessica repeatedly remind carers that financial struggle is not a character flaw. Anyone parenting a child with complex needs who’s wondering how to keep going – emotionally, practically and financially – will feel seen here. Could this be the reminder you need that asking for help is a sign of strength, not shame?
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