Governor Newsom must fund the services and supports Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on
Governor Newsom must fund the services and supports Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely on
We applaud the Senate and Assembly for their leadership to protect Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) from budget cuts that will harm their ability to access critical support and services. The State Legislative alternative budget plan rightly prioritizes Californians most vulnerable to COVID-19 and offers a thoughtful solution to draconian cuts proposed in the Administration’s May revisions to the 2020-21 budget.
Please urge Governor Gavin Newsom to embrace the budget as approved by both the State Senate and Assembly and uphold his promise not to leave people with I/DD behind.
As a coalition of statewide and regional associations and organizations representing people with I/DD and their families, we proudly unite our voices as The Lanterman Coalition. We stand together in our fight for the preservation of the Lanterman Act and advocate for the rights of individuals with I/DD, their families, and the systems that support them across the state.
Through the Lanterman Act, California provides services and supports to more than 360,000 individuals with I/DD, including infants, children, and adults. In response to COVID-19, the service and support system across the state quickly mobilized to protect individuals with disabilities, who the CDC has recognized as an especially vulnerable population to coronavirus. Additionally, individuals and families continue to experience financial stress, and deterioration of mental and physical health due to the lack of regular services.
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, direct support staff turnover was high due to low wages, essential programs were closing across the state, and regional center caseload ratios were too high, all of which forced people to live with inadequate or no supports. As proposed in the Governor’s May Revise budget, people with I/DD and their families would face additional cuts to home- and community-based services, SSI payments, and health care. Also, 150,000 direct support professionals in the state would face wage reductions and furlough days due to service rate reductions. This is a tragic response during a pandemic and will put more people at risk in the short-term, and further threaten the sustainability of services and supports in the future.
As California begins to find its new normal during this global pandemic, it will be even more important that we ensure continuity of care for people with I/DD. Without continued state budget support, many providers will not be able to continue to provide critical support and services for Californians with I/DD.
While these are challenging times, the Governor needs to align with the Legislature’s proposal.
People with I/DD cannot be overlooked. We ask you to, without delay, urge the Governor to protect people with I/DD and approve the State Legislative budget at CaliforniaForInclusion.org
"Our son, David, has autism and significant difficulties with language and needs 24-hour staff support. In the last 27 months David has had 10 different support staff. For obvious reasons, this is not an ideal situation, and recruiting for David can be challenging due to the difficulties of communicating with him. Given the low wage rate with little opportunity for advancement, finding a higher paying job is always a prime motivation for staff to move on. There is always uncertainty about when the situation will resolve, and uncertainty is difficult for David and the rest of our family. The reassurance that would come with improvements for our direct support staff and knowing that the system is stable is priceless."
- Betsy Katz, Mom and President of The Arc of California
"I receive a paycheck twice a month. I work 120 hours plus each pay period and I bring home only $1500 at the most, usually less than that after taxes. I can't even afford my own place. I even started driving for Lyft to make ends meet. I love my job I enjoy going to work every day but it's not enough to survive."
- Anonymous Direct Support Professional, Solano County
The state is failing Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities, causing individuals and families to suffer without critical services and supports. Violating its legal requirement under the Lanterman Act, the state has chronically underfunded the community based organizations that provide services such as supported employment, independent living, family respite, and community integration. As a result, the workforce is leaving in masses - forced to leave the job they love because they struggle with poverty as a result of low wages - and programs are closing their doors. Instead of receiving the services they need to actively contribute to our communities, people are sitting at home without services and families are left abandoned by the state that promised to support them.
California's Lanterman Act passed in 1969. This law sought to end the long era of institutionalization by setting up the regional center system instead. This meant that people with I/DD could stay in their communities of origin instead of being removed to the segregated isolation of an institution. When this law passed state lawmakers promised to fund community based services and supports people with I/DD need to live full lives. Yet in recent years the state has failed to live up to its promise, leaving people with I/DD unsupported, isolated, and vulnerable.
