Illinois families of those with disabilities are in a serious crisis.
With the economy in a downturn, non-profits and other social agencies
are barely operating due to decreases in donations. Now the General
Assembly’s planned Illinois state budget is creating a $9.2
billion funding gap that will drastically cut or eliminate services for
community disability and mental health programs.

Why you need to become involved: Respite care will be cut. Supported
living arrangements will be cancelled, CILAs (residential homes) will
close. The entire home-based service program and two new
Children’s waivers will be drastically reduced. Case management
and case coordination will be cut at least in half while others will be
completely eliminated.

The proposed budget cuts will result in layoffs of more than 10,000
state workers, cost Illinois $2 billion in lost federal matching funds
this year and endanger up to $3 billion in federal stimulus funds over
the next two years.

We are already ranked dead last in providing community based services
for individuals with developmental disabilities. If you are asking how
much worse can it get, we will soon see if these budget cuts go through.

Help by calling your legislator against these cuts and by attending one
of several Rallies Against Cuts in IL Human Services and Education
taking place throughout Illinois this week.

Here is the list of rallies: Illinois families of those with
disabilities are in a serious crisis. With the economy in a downturn,
non-profits and other social agencies are barely operating due to
decreases in donations. Now the General Assembly’s planned
Illinois state budget is creating a $9.2 billion funding gap that will
drastically cut or eliminate services for community disability and
mental health programs.

Why you need to become involved: Respite care will be cut. Supported
living arrangements will be cancelled, CILAs (residential homes) will
close. The entire home-based service program and two new
Children’s waivers will be drastically reduced. Case management
and case coordination will be cut at least in half while others will be
completely eliminated.

The proposed budget cuts will result in layoffs of more than 10,000
state workers, cost Illinois $2 billion in lost federal matching funds
this year and endanger up to $3 billion in federal stimulus funds over
the next two years.

We are already ranked dead last in providing community based services
for individuals with developmental disabilities. If you are asking how
much worse can it get, we will soon see if these budget cuts go through.

Help by calling your legislator against these cuts and by attending one
of several Rallies Against Cuts in IL Human Services and Education
taking place throughout Illinois this week.

List of rallies:
http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/events/event_results.html?state=1\
4&words=rally
If you attend a rally, please wear red or a disability-related shirt.
Make your own signs. If you know of a rally not listed, please add it
or let me know.

The Anixter Center makes it very easy to send an email to your
legislators. Just go to this link and add your zip code:
http://capwiz.com/anixter/home/

To get full information on what services will be affected, go to the Arc
of Illinois website: http://www.thearcofil.org/


Here are some more impacts from the proposed state budget cuts:
Lekotek will be eliminated throughout the state, a direct loss of
$569,500 that directly supports over 15 centers. This affects 5,250
children with disabilities and their families and a loss of jobs for 300
employees.

All 12 TAP centers will be closed affecting 26,000 children with autism
spectrum disorders.

Anixter Center’s budget is drastically reduced with a loss of
over $5 million impacting services, employment and housing for over
1,700 people with disabilities and a loss of jobs for 97-100 employees.

In today’s Chicago Sun-Times, Alan Bergman, CEO of the Anixter
Center asked the Governor’s administration where he should take
all the people with disabilities and mental illness who will lose their
homes. “We will not be accused of putting them in the
street,” Bergman said.

In an email, Leilia Teninty, Director of the Division of Developmental
Disabilities said, “Due to the General Assembly’s failure
to approve the revenue plan proposed by Governor Quinn, the State of
Illinois will no longer be able to afford even basic services for
thousands of people with developmental disabilities….The
legislature’s 50 percent budget cut $2.24 billion from the
Department of Human Services (DHS) budget severely impacting our ability
to provide vital services to people with developmental disabilities and
their families. As a result, we are forced to cut a number of grant
programs and consider significant rate cuts to remaining
programs.”

The list of grant programs the Division of Developmental Disabilities
will
no longer be able to fund effective June 30, 2009 include the following.

Grant and Respite Programs:

150 Diagnostic/Evaluation
160 Client/Family Support
250 Epilepsy
320 Vocational Development
380 Regular Work/Sheltered Employment
390 Supported Employment
400 Dental Services
430 Leisure Time
450 Demonstration Project
500 ISC
781 Bogard Service Coordination
880 Group Respite
87D In-Home Respite Care
89D Residential Respite
430 Leisure Time
500 ISC
89D Residential Respite

Please get involved today. Many people are simply not aware of how
these cuts will impact our families. Ask your relatives and friends to
contact their legislators about this travesty being done to our most
vulnerable individuals.


http://www.oneplaceforspecialneeds.com/events/event_results.html?state=1\
4&words=rally
If you attend a rally, please wear red or a disability-related shirt.
Make your own signs. If you know of a rally not listed, please add it
or let me know.

The Anixter Center makes it very easy to send an email to your
legislators. Just go to this link and add your zip code:
http://capwiz.com/anixter/home/

To get full information on what services will be affected, go to the Arc
of Illinois website: http://www.thearcofil.org/


Here are some more impacts from the proposed state budget cuts:
Lekotek will be eliminated throughout the state, a direct loss of
$569,500 that directly supports over 15 centers. This affects 5,250
children with disabilities and their families and a loss of jobs for 300
employees.

All 12 TAP centers will be closed affecting 26,000 children with autism
spectrum disorders.

Anixter Center’s budget is drastically reduced with a loss of
over $5 million impacting services, employment and housing for over
1,700 people with disabilities and a loss of jobs for 97-100 employees.

In today’s Chicago Sun-Times, Alan Bergman, CEO of the Anixter
Center asked the Governor’s administration where he should take
all the people with disabilities and mental illness who will lose their
homes. “We will not be accused of putting them in the
street,” Bergman said.

In an email, Leilia Teninty, Director of the Division of Developmental
Disabilities said, “Due to the General Assembly’s failure
to approve the revenue plan proposed by Governor Quinn, the State of
Illinois will no longer be able to afford even basic services for
thousands of people with developmental disabilities….The
legislature’s 50 percent budget cut $2.24 billion from the
Department of Human Services (DHS) budget severely impacting our ability
to provide vital services to people with developmental disabilities and
their families. As a result, we are forced to cut a number of grant
programs and consider significant rate cuts to remaining
programs.”

The list of grant programs the Division of Developmental Disabilities
will
no longer be able to fund effective June 30, 2009 include the following.

Grant and Respite Programs:

150 Diagnostic/Evaluation
160 Client/Family Support
250 Epilepsy
320 Vocational Development
380 Regular Work/Sheltered Employment
390 Supported Employment
400 Dental Services
430 Leisure Time
450 Demonstration Project
500 ISC
781 Bogard Service Coordination
880 Group Respite
87D In-Home Respite Care
89D Residential Respite
430 Leisure Time
500 ISC
89D Residential Respite

Please get involved today. Many people are simply not aware of how
these cuts will impact our families. Ask your relatives and friends to
contact their legislators about this travesty being done to our most
vulnerable individuals.