Action Alerts

June 6, 2007
Children's Waiver Approved!
Direct Services Program starts July 1st

ACTION: Call your reps TODAY to help more families

Yesterday the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the state's application for the new children's in-home supports waiver! This is the culmination of our four-year effort to implement a program that we hope will have a major impact on thousands of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities for many years to come.

Thank you to all of you who have advocated for this, thanks to the Governor and thanks to all of our many supporters in the General Assembly, especially those who have sponsored bills to require the state to apply for and fund this waiver. 

But, we're not quite where we need to be just yet. We need $52 million for 3,126 new families THIS YEAR! For the first time in its history, Illinois will receive federal matching dollars to support families raising children with developmental disabilities, including autism, at home. This program allows the parent/guardian to choose from an array of services, including ABA and other therapies, respite, certain home modifications, and other supports, up to $14,952 per year.

The first participants will be those families currently enrolled in the state's 72D program, and will be an expansion of services and choices from that program, although recipients can choose to remain with their 72D provider agency.

Federal matching dollars will begin coming in soon after July 1 and will be reinvested to allow more families to participate in the waiver. This is great progress, but the existing expenditure and match will not be enough to fund the thousands of families waiting for urgently needed services right now. The state budget is being negotiated now and can include new funding to significantly expand this program and begin serving more children and supporting their families.

House Democrats passed a budget proposal last week that would have provided several million new dollars to serve new families waiting for these services, but the final budget is still being negotiated among the leaders of both parties and both houses of state government.

We need to make sure the final budget includes many more of our loved ones. Please keep up the pressure to support children and adults on the waiting list:

CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, STATE SENATOR and GOVERNOR. Tell them to provide funding for new home and community services. Tell them to insist that this budget provide for our loved ones directly, as listed in HB 2041 and HB 4103. They may be in their districts or in Springfield, depending on the day—but the budget is being negotiated right now, so don't delay making contact. Click here to find your state rep/state senator.

HB 2041 now has 70 sponsors! Your state rep may have already signed on as a cosponsor of HB 2041, and your state senator may have signed a letter of support. If so, please thank them and remind them that we need them to continue advocating for us during budget negotiations. Ask them to put us at the top of the wishlist with their leadership. Be polite and ask that they INSIST THAT ANY BUDGET PROPOSAL MUST INCLUDE THE THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES WHO NEED SERVICES NOW!

Look up your legislators' phone numbers by clicking here. The Governor's phone number is 217-782-6830. Here's what you can say (you'll probably get an assistant):

"My name is _____ and I live in Senator/Representative ______'s district. Please tell him/her we need new services for our loved ones with autism and other disabilities. Please support House Bill 2041 (now included in H B4103) to provide $52 million to support 3,126 people on the waiting list for home and community services. This appropriation will fund the new children's waiver, provide for new people to live in CILA's, and fund more families through the Home Based Supports program. Thank you for supporting our loved ones."

Thank your rep if they are on this list of sponsors ... Illinois can do better—but only if you help.

Despite our tremendous progress, Illinois remains one of the very lowest-ranked states in the country at funding the kinds of supports our families need (47th or 48th—ahead of only Mississippi and Arkansas in most of these categories). THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO CHANGE THAT!!

Please call today. Our success depends on you!
WE NEED EVERYONE WHO LOVES A PERSON WITH AUTISM TO DO THEIR PART IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO IMPROVE THE WAY ILLINOIS TREATS OUR FAMILIES.

Please call your state reps and state senators TODAY. Get your friends and family to call, too—there is strength in numbers.

LOOK UP YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
Call your state rep and state senator. Our success depends on you!

Sincerely,
Christopher M. Kennedy
Legislative Director, Autism Society of Illinois

 

Autism Society of Illinois
2200 S. Main Street, Suite 205
Lombard, IL 60148-5366
630-691-1270 Phone
888-691-1270 Toll-Free
630-932-5620 Fax
www.autismillinois.org