Budget catastrophic to DuPage services
Budget catastrophic to DuPage services
On May 31, the Illinois legislature passed a budget that cuts in half funding for health and human services. This means that many of the programs that keep our DuPage-area residents self-sufficient are at risk of being reduced or eliminated. There is no question that this is a time to tighten belts and find new efficiencies. Human service has been operating on shoestrings for years yet it is still facing what could be the worst economic crisis ever. Add to that the increased demand for services due to the recession, and the result is a perfect storm of increased demand and decreased funding for our human services sector.
In DuPage, the effects of this budget will be catastrophic:
• About 900 people with disabilities currently receiving services from Ray Graham Association will lose the services they need to maintain their independence and dignity.
• More than 200 men and women in recovery for substance abuse and chemical dependence at agencies like Serenity House will have nowhere to go for help. Without intervention, their untreated conditions will worsen and increase the likelihood of them losing their jobs, their family and their homes.
• Approximately 2,800 children will lose their child-care subsidies. For working relatives, this child care assistance is the main lifeline to be able to continue working and providing for the children they are raising.
Although residents have been extremely generous this year, there is simply no way United Way of the DuPage Area can fill the gap that such a substantial cut in government funding will leave. Statewide, government funding accounts for 97 percent of all human services funding.
We urge lawmakers to maintain full funding for health and human services today to avoid paying higher costs for bigger problems later.
Christine Lewis
chief professional officer, United Way of the DuPage Area