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Legislative
Focus FY 2011
The Arc of Massachusetts
Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change
FY’11 Budget Priorities
Please Don’t Cut Services at DDS
in FY’11 Budget - DDS Top Three
The Needs
Children and Individuals served at the Department of Developmental Services
need your support. Even if these cuts are stopped waiting lists continue
for family support (for children and adults), autism division, day and
employment services and residential. These cuts will mean people will
lose services!
The Top Three List
Community Programs The Governor’s budget consolidates transportation,
day/employment and family support into one line item (5911-2000). House
2 also reduces all three line items. Two of these are on our top three
list.
1. Day/Employment Services account requires $7.4 Million or a total
of $123,638,888 (In 2009, this line item was almost $130 Million). 450
individuals will lose these services while an additional 150 will lose
transportation services. Such an action means family members must leave
jobs, individuals can’t obtain or maintain their jobs and others will
be stuck at home, isolated from their community. Employment is an important
part of one’s day and individuals with developmental disabilities can
do well with the right assistance. Maintenance funding would have insured
that Turning 22 students funded in 2010 would have their full 2011 allocation
as well as annualized dollars for those who moved from nursing homes
and state schools. Please address this request which incorporates the
transportation cut. (5920-2025)
2. Family Support/Respite account is reduced an additional $1.5 Million
in the House 2 budget. In 2009 this line item totaled $56,094,228. The
cut in 2010 reduced or eliminated family support services for 4,786
families. This additional cut affects 1,000 individuals/families (5920-3000).
The account requires $46,521,184 ($1.5 Million more).
3. Residential Programs also were consolidated into one line
item (5920-2000) in the House 2 budget. This line item combines Community
residential (private providers, most are non-profit) and state operated
programs, all in the community. This consolidation on paper has $9.5
Million more than the final 2010 budget. However it doesn’t take into
account maintaining funding for those who Turned 22 in 2010 and those
who moved from nursing homes and institutions.
Community residential (5920-2000) requires $17.3 Million for $867,928,240
while State Operated services require $4,900,000 for a total of $146,034,516.
The Governor has addressed almost the entire cut in the errata budget.
However the House and Senate will be crafting the final budget and we
need their support on this and the other line items!
Although there are other priorities, we have focused on these to help
individuals and families have an easier time explaining the budget. There
are many constituencies served through the DDS budget so reducing other
line items to address these needs would not be helpful. It would put others
at risk. Our full budget fact sheets also reviews Turning 22, DESE-DDS,
Mass. Rehabilitation Commission line items and Early Intervention.
Salary Reserve Needs $28,000,000 for DSP Wage increase. Direct
Support Professionals continue to earn far below a living wage ($11.58
for one adult in Mass.) and are scheduled to have no salary increase for
the third consecutive year.
Contacts
MFOFC:
mfofc@comcast.net 800-406-3632
ARCMASS:
advocate@arcmass.org 781-891-6270
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