Budget Fact Sheet, FY 2012

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FY2012 BUDGET FACT SHEET

RESTORE THE $76.3 MILLION THAT FUNDS CRITICAL SERVICES FOR ILLINOIS' MOST

VULNERABLE CITIZENS!

END THE WAITING LIST FOR THE 21,000 ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN THE PUNS DATABASE!

The LIFE Campaign supports the funding of individualized, comprehensive and

integrated community based

services for persons with disabilities. The proposed budget will cut the

lifeline of critical community-based

services that support children and adults with significant disabilities in their

homes and communities and their

ability to live Life with Independence Fairness & Equality. Illinois ranks 51st

in the nation for supporting citizens

with developmental disabilities to live in their home communities.

THE 2012 PROPOSED BUDGET HAS ALL THE WRONG PRIORITIES

? $76.3 million in cuts from community developmentally disability services will

o Eliminate these critical programs: Family Assistance Program, UIC Family

Clinic, UIC Assistive Technology

Unit, all Epilepsy grants, all Dental grants, SIU Telemed grants, and all

Respite grants

o Reduce rates for community services by 6% (while saving the state only 3%)

o Reduce the Children's and Adults Home-Based Support Services available monthly

allotment by 10%

(while saving the state only 5%)

? The cost to institutionalize people with disabilities far from family and

friends will rise to $192,000 per person

and not one of the 21,000 children and adults will move off the state's waiting

list

? Illinois institutionalizes more people than any other state

? The average cost to support one person living in the community is $50,000

compared to $192,000 per person in

one of the eight state institutions

? An estimated 3,052 local community employees will be laid off while this

budget proposes a 8.25 % wage

increase for state employees AND the hiring of 950 NEW state employees

? An additional $30 million will be invested in state institutions while cutting

community services by $76.3 million

? No provision is made to pay community providers promptly - currently a six

month backlog

? Illinois will be turning away $31.15 million dollars in 50 % federal match

? This budget will de-construct the current DD system, forcing many agencies to

simply close and many people

with very significant disabilities out " on the curb " .

An estimated 220,000 persons with developmental disabilities live in Illinois.

People with disabilities have the right to

enjoy the same freedoms and responsibilities as all Illinoisans in the community

of their choice.

For more information, contact Tony auski at (815) 464-5292,

tony@... or visit www.thearcofil.org.

The Arc of Illinois represents 220,000 infants, children and adults with

intellectual and developmental disabilities and

their families.

Ellen Garber Bronfeld

egskb@...