Encourage careers for those who help disabled

As a parent advocate for my adult son, I have seen the effects of having a daily shortage of direct support professionals on the daily operations of adult day programs and group homes on clients like my son and others in Illinois and it is devastating. They do not have the same abilities to enter out into the community, as all people should have and it's devastating both physically and emotionally.

That's why I advocated for the state passage of SB 3972 SB1558, to help create the foundation for nonprofit organizations to set up job training programs through their schools, with local nonprofits of a for-credit program from the high school level, all the way through the first two years of community college, to become fully certified DSP workers to work with adults with developmental disabilities.

First of all, high school students with this unique experience, would not gain this experience to enter it on their college application anywhere else. They would not get a better test of if they could work in the special education field. Most importantly, they would not get a could test for themselves if they are compassionate and tolerant of others who are different.

All it takes is a first call to your school counselor.

Mike Baker

Schaumburg