Beyond Financial Planning: Cortney Heykoop Contributes to a National Conversation on FASD

SPECIAL NEEDS PLANNING  READ TIME: 2 MIN  Supporting families starts with listening, collaboration, and a commitment to planning for the future. For families raising a child or supporting a loved one with special needs, the future can bring important questions about care, financial security, independence, and long-term support. Finding answers often requires more than one professional or one solution. It requires a community willing to listen, learn, and work together. That commitment is at the heart of Cortney Heykoop’s work. As the founder of Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies and a Chartered Special Needs Consultant, Cortney specializes in helping families navigate the financial complexities that can accompany disability and special needs planning. Her perspective is informed by both her professional experience in financial services and her personal experience as a mother of a child with special needs. Cortney recently contributed to An Invitation to the Table: FASD White Papers, Volume 1.2, a publication of FASD United that brings together perspectives and recommendations from the 2025 FASD Symposium. The white paper examines opportunities to strengthen support for individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and their families, emphasizing collaboration, education, advocacy, and more coordinated services.

Why this conversation matters

FASD can affect individuals and families in ways that extend across education, healthcare, relationships, employment, and daily life. Families may need to navigate multiple service systems while also thinking about how to provide stability and support over the long term. The white paper highlights the importance of listening to people with lived experience, strengthening partnerships among organizations, and making education and resources more accessible. These are important considerations for professionals who serve families with disabilities. No single professional can address every need, and families should not have to navigate complex systems without informed guidance and support.

Connecting family needs with financial planning

At Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies, Cortney takes a holistic approach to financial planning, with a particular focus on the needs of special needs families. For these families, planning may involve more than traditional saving and investing. It can include considering future care expenses, exploring special needs trusts and other planning strategies, coordinating with legal and benefits professionals, and preparing for the transition to future caregivers. The right approach depends on each family’s circumstances, priorities, and goals. The purpose is to help families make informed decisions and build a financial strategy that supports the life they envision for their loved one.

A personal commitment to the special needs community

Cortney’s involvement in the FASD white paper reflects a broader commitment to improving the resources available to individuals with disabilities and their families. Through Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies and her community involvement, including service on the board of The Arc of Loudoun, Cortney works to help families access financial education, planning resources, and connections within the disability community. Her contribution to the white paper is part of a larger conversation about how professionals, families, advocates, and organizations can work together to strengthen support. Because planning for the future is about more than finances. It is about helping families feel informed, supported, and prepared for what comes next. To learn more about special needs financial planning, visit Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies. Source: FASD United, An Invitation to the Table: FASD White Papers, Volume 1.2.