Sydney Kent reached an exciting milestone when she recently moved into her own apartment. With support from her family, her Boone County Family Resources (BCFR) Support Coordinator, Deanne Hoff, and services funded through the DMH Support Waiver, Sydney is settling in, making friends and thriving in her new home.

Sydney moved into her apartment on January 16, leaving her childhood home behind for the first time. Her mom, Lisa, describes this as a moment they’ve been working toward for many years.

“I cried because I was happy that this day had come, that we had worked for since she was young,” shared Lisa.

To make living on her own safe and successful, Sydney receives a variety of services funded through the Support Waiver. A remote monitoring system gives her independence while keeping her safe. Sydney activates her alarm each evening, and if she doesn’t turn it on by her usual time, the monitoring team checks in. Smoke detectors also trigger automatic safety calls if needed. These tools give Sydney the freedom she wants while giving her family peace of mind.

Sydney also uses self‑directed personal assistant (PA) services. Her family manages the program, hiring and training staff who support her with cooking, meal planning, laundry, household chores, shopping and staying organized. Her PA’s also help her stay active in the community—Sydney enjoys going out to eat, visiting the gym, shopping and going to movies.

During a recent walk‑through of her apartment, Sydney excitedly gave Deanne a tour.

“Here’s my room… I tidied up this morning,” she said proudly.

She showed the living room, her favorite rainbow rug and her patio. When asked how she likes living on her own, Sydney said, “It’s good… I was nervous at first, but it’s going well.” She shared that she likes having space to dance, watch TV and relax.

Sydney has already made several friends in the building. She likes living in a community where other residents have disabilities and can share similar experiences.

“I did not know anybody before, but now I have Wanda, Erica, BJ… I have a lot,” she said with a smile.

Sydney works at MOD Pizza, only about ten minutes from her apartment. She keeps a reliable routine and manages her transportation using paratransit.  Sydney stays on a consistent weekly schedule to make sure she doesn’t get bored, or overwhelmed; chores on Sundays, grocery planning before midweek shopping, evening support to help with routines, and time for friends and activities.

Her mom said the transition has been smoother than she expected. At first, she thought she might need to stay overnight with Sydney while she adjusted, but after the first night, Sydney was ready to be on her own.

“She wasn’t scared at all,” Lisa said. “I feel better here because it’s a safe place… it definitely has value, the security and the community.”

Tools funded through BCFR like the Night Owl system, Ring cameras and GPS helped her mom gradually feel comfortable with Sydney staying alone. Deanne said it has been inspiring to see Sydney reach this point.

“Her family’s great, they’ve been working with her and we’ve tried lots of services,” said Deanne. We’ve worked really hard to get her to this point and it’s just been very exciting.”

To celebrate her move, Sydney hosted an open house that filled her apartment with friends, family and supporters. The small space was overflowing with people cheering her on as she began this new chapter.

Now, Sydney is confidently managing her routines, building friendships, working at a job she enjoys and making her own choices in her own home.