As you know Respite, Inc. and many other programs that service our Special Needs Family Members are facing difficult times during this budget crisis. Diane Toevs, the Program Coordinator at Respite, Inc. was kind enough to share this letter template that you can use to contact elected officials and let them know that these programs are too important to be cut any further. Please edit it to suit your situation and send it off today!
Template:
I/We have a family member with a developmental disability. Tri-Counties Regional Center offers me/us a beacon in the swirling sea of special needs. Without the services and supports provided by TCRC it might not be possible to maintain my/our loved one at home.
Regional Centers statewide have had multiple funding decreases imposed for more than ten years. The shortsighted focus on the state budget has already negatively impacted innumerable individuals at-risk or already diagnosed with developmental disabilities and their families. Changing the qualifying criteria for Early Start services means far more children will require special education services when they start school. Early intervention programs can make the difference between needing lifelong supports or being a capable student and self-sufficient adult. Study after study has proven the effectiveness of Early Start and the other non-generic services provided through Regional Centers.
If you aren’t the parent/guardian/primary caregiver of someone with Down syndrome, Autism or another developmental disability you can’t begin to understand how important Regional Centers are to those of us who live with these wonderful, but challenging babies, toddlers, children, teens and adults every day. A short-term budget fix, if it includes cutting funds to Regional Centers, will have long-term detrimental and possibly devastating affects to the most vulnerable residents of California. Another $100 million dollars is already going to be cut in September. Stop chipping away at the legacy of Frank D. Lanterman’s tireless advocacy. Find others ways. There can’t be any more cuts!
When you send your letter, please comment below and let us know!
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