More info re: filing requests for due process hearings

It is important for families whose early intervention services have been, are, or will be interrupted due to the DDD/DES budget cuts to file written requests for due process hearings. For more information, please see Stacy's post, here.

Capitol Building Rally - March 19th

The Tungland Corporation has organized a rally at the Capitol for this Thursday, March19th, to raise awareness of the DES/DDD cuts. Click here to see the details that are posted on Stacy's "Early Intervention" blog!

Important info for Parents: talking points, due process info!

The following information was passed onto me by Maureen Casey, Chair of the Arizona Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) for Infants & Toddlers and it has been published via this blog with her permission:

1. Tips for telling your Early Intervention story when writing to Governor Brewer, and members of the legislature to protest cuts in early intervention services. (Although there is a current hold on the cuts to those services, it is only a temporary fix ... we are not out of the woods yet!)

2. Key statement to include in a letter requesting a due process hearing (see highlighted text at end of document)

If you want more information and to have your questions about requesting a due process hearing answered, I strongly encourage you to click here to view the AZ Early Intervention Parents/Caregivers Yahoo! Group messages. You may read the AZ Early Intervention ... Yahoo! Group messages without joining the group (if you would like to post to the group you must first joing the group using your Yahoo! ID).

Maureen Casey & Kristina Park - Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the AZ ICC for Infants and Toddlers moderate and are active members of the AZ Early Intervention ... Yahoo! group and they are SO knowledgeable and helpful!

The injunction was excellent news, but keep making those calls & writing those letters!

I could write a post on this, but I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel:

Click here to read the excellent post of Stacy's (local early intervention provider) about the need for families to continue to make noise even though the preliminary injunction was granted yesterday.

COURT CASE MINUTES - from March 11, 2009

Click here to read the 21-page minutes from the case that was filed to block DDD budget cuts!

Good info for families re: finding out about restoration of services

Stacy, a local early intervention provider, has posted a great blog entry for parents and caregivers who are now anxiously waiting to learn more about their loved ones' services being reinstated. Click here to read Stacy's post.

DES news release re: court ruling

Click here to see DES's news release regarding yesterday's court ruling.

Info available online re: AAPPD court case vs. State of AZ & DES

The civil case was filed in Superior Court of Marciopa County - (to find docket entries use case # CV2009-006509).

The Honorable Joseph B. Heilman initially presided over the case, and it appears - based on the minutes of 2/27/09 - that the case will be (or has been) changed to being presided over by The Honorable Bethany G. Hicks.

Official minutes recorded and posted regarding the proceedings can be found by searching here using the following case number: CV2009006509

Video of last week's Rally at the capitol

Click here to see a news story/video from last week's rally at the capitol.

DES cuts hit elderly, children, families

Michelle Reese
Feb 28, 2009 (The Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --

The cuts made by the state Department of Economic Security in the last few weeks have been reported in headlines and spreadsheets, on Web sites and editorials.

While the governor is taking steps to restore one of the most noted cuts -- childcare subsidies to working poor families -- through the use of federal stimulus funs, still many others are going forth.

More than 700 employees in DES programs are without jobs, including some Child Protective Services investigators. About 9,000 must take furlough days between now and June 12. Not every case of abuse or neglect will be looked into, the DES Web site reports. Not every child will get services that may help development.

For Carrie Reed of Queen Creek, the financial impact of these cuts may be seen in the face of her 8-year-old daughter, Lauren.

"Lauren is nonverbal," Reed said. "Her only way to communicate is through song."

To read the rest of this article, click here: http://www.individual.com/story.php?story=97106506

Write Governor Brewer re: using Federal Stimulus funds to restore services!

I learned at a meeting this morning, that it is imperative that families, service providers and concerned citizens of Arizona should write to Governor Brewer directly (contact info & link below) to request that she allocates Federal Stimulus funds that will be coming her way to the restoration services in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2010 for children and adults with disabilities that have been swiped out from under them as a result of the recent DDD cuts!

The responsibility to decide how to use the Federal Stimulus funds will be solely Governor Brewer's, not DES's ... not DDD's ... not the State Legislature's ... only Governor Brewer's! These funds will be coming to Arizona very soon, so is vital that she receives letter after letter after letter urging her to use Fed. Stim. package funds to help restore services to the children and adults with disabilities who may very well suffer irreparable harm if their support and therapeutic services are not restored, and soon!

• Here is a nice fill-in-the-blank letter (which you can personalize!) via the Children's Action Alliance website: http://action.voiceshub.org/campaign/fedstimulus_DEScuts

• Here is the link to contact Governor Brewer via email (also includes snail mail address & phone numbers): http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp

What? You're still here?? Go! Start writing those letters and spread the word!! : )

"Filing decries (DDD) disability funding cuts" in Arizona

Story found here: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/02/28/20090228dessuit0228.html

A coalition seeking to block steep service cuts for about 4,000 people living with disabilities will try to convince a judge next week that the state acted improperly.

The group, which includes service providers and their clients, filed a complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court on Friday seeking a temporary restraining order. If granted, the order would prevent the Department of Economic Security from reducing services provided through its Division of Developmental Disabilities.

About 4,000 people are scheduled to lose services Sunday as the result of cuts made in the wake of the Legislature's $1.6 billion budget fix earlier this year.

"What the state is proposing to do is to pull the rug out from under . . . some of our most vulnerable citizens," said John Dacey, attorney for the plaintiffs.

On Friday, Dacey argued that the Legislature violated the Constitution in January when it instructed DES to reduce its budget by $43 million.

Plaintiffs told the court that the Legislature improperly delegated its authority to the agency, which is part of the executive branch.

Lawyers for the state responded by saying that it has been the Legislature's standard practice to appropriate "lump sums" to state agencies and allow them to decide how to spend or cut money.

Judge Joseph Heilman scheduled a hearing for Monday to further discuss the issue. He declined to issue a restraining order Friday, saying a few days' delay would not cause irreparable harm to the plaintiffs.