Preserving Lives, Conserving Costs: CDCS Works

A Campaign to Support Persons with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families
To Preserve Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS)

Sponsored by The Arc of Minnesota -- December, 2004

Our daughter Katie is a 17-year-old with cerebral palsy. Her gross and fine motor skills are severely impaired, and she needs maximum assistance in every aspect of her daily life. We want to keep her at home for as long as possible, because we believe we can meet her needs better than a state- or county-run facility can. We want what any parents want for their child: happiness, independence, acceptance, and a chance to achieve her goals, but that will require some help.

The crucial need covered by CDCS for Katie is the use of personal care attendants when we are not present. These individuals assist our daughter with tasks ranging from taking her coat off when she gets home from school to taking immediate action in the event of an emergency. Katie would know what to do in the event of most emergencies, but is physically unable to actually do it.

Our proposed budget was reduced by 38 per cent. Our parental fee was increased by 64 per cent in 2003 and again for 2004-05. Even if a personal care attendant were the only service she needed, this budget would not cover the hours we

need. If we don't have her covered with a competent staff person, we don't work. If we don't work, we don't pay taxes. There are people who will work for less, but the old saying "You get what you pay for" applies here. We have had dozens of attendants for our daughter, and some of them have been so inferior, our daughter's safety was literally at risk.

CDCS has worked well for our family and has allowed us to make our house and community more accessible for Katie, but her independence is being threatened. All of the fee increases and budget cuts appear to be designed to get families to drop a program that is supposed to help our kids.

Our family doesn't mind doing our share or paying a little more, and we certainly don't mind giving up some things, but where is the fairness in all of this? We've always believed that our government should provide supports that help people. CDCS is one support that certainly has helped us, and the cuts that we have received should be reversed.

Dawn McLaughlin
St. Paul, MN