Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) are individuals who are hired to assist a person with personal needs of daily living such as eating, toileting, handling school supplies, etc. If a student needs a PCA, it is the student’s responsibility to recruit, interview, hire, train, pay, etc. the PCA.
PCAs Role on Campus:
- Should be restricted to the personal care needs for which he/she was hired
- Before the start of each class session, PCAs are allowed to assist the student with preparing for class such as finding their seat and getting materials out for use
- After the teacher has dismissed the class, PCAs are allowed to assist the student with putting their supplies and materials away and exiting the room
- PCAs are not allowed to remain in the classroom once the class begins
- May wait for the student in the hall near the classroom
CAAS Suggests the following:
- The student begins the process of hiring a PCA well in advance of registering and attending classes
- Before interviewing, make a list of specific needs such as duties, time schedule and compensation
- Consider employing a back-up PCA to be on-call when a substitute is needed
- If you are a Department of Human Services client, check with your counselor to see if you are eligible for financial assistance with PCA expenses