For Shiloh S. and her family of four in rural West Texas, access to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services has been life-changing. Both of her children have special needs. Her youngest struggles with mobility, and therapy is essential to her development. Through Medicaid, the family can afford occupational, physical, and speech therapy. Without it, those services would be out of reach—both financially and geographically.
Living in Big Spring means long drives to specialists. Without ECI, they’d be facing six trips a month to Lubbock just to get the same support. “That kind of cost would be devastating to our family,” Shiloh says. Thankfully, her older child was able to complete ECI and made tremendous strides—going from nonverbal to singing a solo in her first grade choir performance. Shiloh dreams of seeing her youngest follow the same path.
Uncertainty in a Rural System
But lately, the family’s progress feels fragile. When Medicaid was paused for just 24 hours, Shiloh got calls from caseworkers advising her to get on year-long waitlists for therapists located two hours away—just in case coverage disappeared permanently. That single day of uncertainty sent shockwaves through their plans.
In a rural area with limited resources, families like Shiloh’s rely heavily on the programs they have. But that reliance is paired with constant anxiety. What if the services are cut tomorrow? What if the support dries up just when it’s needed most?
For Shiloh, Medicaid isn’t just a policy—it’s a lifeline. Losing it wouldn’t just mean less support. It would mean losing essential care for her children, facing unaffordable costs, and sacrificing her family’s progress.
That’s why Shiloh and her daughter Astrid joined Strolling Thunder™, part of ZERO TO THREE’s Think Babies™ campaign. They traveled to Washington to talk to policymakers about the importance of healthcare access. Their message is simple but urgent: don’t make raising babies harder than it already is, especially for families already doing everything they can.
