End the Wait!
More than 9,000 people with developmental disabilities in Louisiana are waiting up to nine years for the waiver services they need now.
The 2009 Legislative Session was very difficult for people with disabilities and their families. The Executive Budget the Governor first presented to the legislature contained no additional waiver slots, no closures of developmental centers and an actual increase in the developmental centers’ budgets! After a two month legislative session, nothing had changed. No additional waiver slots were included in the budget even though the NOW Trust Fund has funds available for new slots and more than 9,000 people remain on the waiting list. No plans were made to consolidate or close developmental centers even though on average, over three people can be served from the waiting list for the average cost of supporting one person in a developmental center.
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