Family Support Advocacy Efforts
The State of Georgia is undergoing a severe budgetary crisis due to COVID-19 and the downturn in our economy. As part of the response to Governor Kemp’s required reduction of 14% in budget expenses, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) proposed eliminating Family Supports that are provided to families with individuals who have an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). For many families, these supports are the only resource the state provides families for access to camp, respite, supplies, and other much needed services. InCommunity created a Facebook Group called InCommunity Advocacy to promote that everyone take action. The group called everyone to email and/or call their senator and representatives, to tell them that we are against budget cuts for Family Support - support that gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities access to quality care in the state of Georgia.
In the midst of advocating for Family Support, stories like this one was shared:
I have a 17 year old brother, Zach, who is also Autistic. My brother has very few friends outside of the programs we are able to send him to solely because of the funding (Family Support) we receive and I know there are hundreds of other families in the same boat as us. I feel very strongly about this subject as I see every side of Zach, and I see how much he loves going to the camps and clubs and being able to socialize like a normal teenager. He constantly talks about his hopes for the future like going to college, which we would be unable to do without the proper funding. He has gone and is going through a difficult time growing up with Autism. Being around other kids like him really makes a difference in his mood, because he knows he is different from most kids, so the time he gets to spend with kids in the programs we send him to using the funding we get makes him feel a little more normal.
Thank you Hanna for sharing a story about your brother, Zach. He is very lucky to have an advocate like you.
On June 10th, it was proposed during the Senate Committee on Appropriations that they restore 6.5 of the original 13 million asked to be deducted from Family Support. This is a BIG win! It is all thanks to your quick action and advocacy efforts.
.... But the fight is not over! Continue to call your house and senate reps to try and get FULL funding back!
