Morton, Pennsylvania – Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh Today, I visited Child and Adult Disability and Educational Services (CADES), a provider of services to Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) in Delaware County, to discuss the need for historic investments in Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 budget that will increase the number of Pennsylvanians who have access to ID/A services and support the professionals who care for Pennsylvanians with ID/A.
“DHS strives to ensure that our neighbors, friends and loved ones with intellectual and learning disabilities have the services and supports they need to thrive in the communities they choose, but we know that too often we fall short in helping them achieve this goal,” DHS said. Chief Arkoush“Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget affirms the dignity of all Pennsylvanians with ID/A by eliminating wait lists for services while investing in the value and importance of ID/A service providers and direct support professionals.”
Governor Shapiro’s budget proposal: Investing with bipartisan support $483 million Increase federal and state funding to provide more resources to home- and community-based service providers so they can increase their average starting wage from approximately $15 to $17 per hour. Higher wages will help them attract and retain talented staff who provide these critical services. Governor Shapiro announced late last year that DHS would revisit rates sooner than necessary to better support home- and community-based service providers and direct support professionals who dedicate their careers to helping Pennsylvanians with ID/A. Additionally, providers also received a one-time supplemental payment in June to help them recruit and retain staff.
Earlier this year, Governor Shapiro directed the Department of Homeland Security to immediately release additional program capacity to the county, which will enable an additional 1,650 Pennsylvanians to receive services this year, and the proposed 2024-25 budget aims to further strengthen this through investments. $78 million Federal and state funding will be deployed to serve an additional 1,500 Pennsylvanians next fiscal year.
If passed, Governor Shapiro This budget will increase the number of Pennsylvanians with ID/A who receive home- and community-based services, launching a multi-year growth strategy to make Pennsylvania a national leader and eliminate emergency wait lists for adults. To support this growth, the budget will increase rates for service providers and support wage increases for direct support professionals who care for Pennsylvanians with ID/A.
Secretary Arkoosh visited one of CADES’ licensed Community Living Arrangement (CLA) homes, a place where individuals with ID/A can live more independently through the provision of a range of services that promote community living, employment, communication, self-management, choice and control. CADES operates CLAs in Delaware, Chester and Bucks counties, where adults with ID/A have built lifelong bonds with the community.
CADES was incorporated in 1951 as the Delaware County Cerebral Palsy United Association, opening its doors to school-age students with no other formal educational opportunities. As these students grew into adults, the need for meaningful work and social engagements grew, and CADES created a day program option where adults could thrive. At the heart of CADES are 450 staff members with a mission to treat people as people. Their goal is to help more than 700 children and adults, their families, and each other learn, socialize, work, and navigate daily life each year.
“If passed, Governor Shapiro’s budget will be a game-changer for agencies like CADES, providing critical resources to support a living wage for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide care around the clock in community settings. DSPs’ work is diverse – they are nurses and therapists, teachers and cooks, caregivers and surrogate parents – and they are primarily women and working mothers and come from different racial and ethnic backgrounds – diverse yet consistently marginalized. Governor Shapiro’s budget will make a meaningful impact on the pay of these mission-critical employees, demonstrating that as a community we value them and their contributions,” said the Governor. Julie Aleman, CEO of CADES; “The positive outcomes of Governor Shapiro’s budget approval go beyond wages. Providing quality support to our ID/A community – the kind of quality support we would want for our loved ones – is the result of significant investments in infrastructure, including training to improve the clinical skills of DSP staff and renovations to housing and vehicles to ensure quality care and safety for both the individuals they serve and the staff they support. The impact on the ID/A community will be profound – hope will be created and lives will be changed.”
Read the Governor’s full budget proposal.
Media Contact: Brandon Kwarina – ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov
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