News Story about the Preliminary Injunction

http://www.kpho.com/health/18912232/detail.html?taf=pho

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

"Families worry about (Early Intervention) DES cuts

Families worry about DES cuts

by Melissa Gonzalo - Feb. 24, 2009 06:25 PM
12 News

Advocates and parents are concerned children under the age of three with developmental disabilities will have to go without therapy after the Department of Economic Security announced budget cuts about a week ago. According to Southwest Human Development, the cuts would take away state-funded speech, occupational and physical therapy for these children, and essentially leave them without these therapies as they are too young to receive federal funding.

Parents like Shawnie Huff say they can't afford to wait three years. Huff has three children with down syndrome. Five-year-old Tyler knows how to write his name on his own. His older sister Tia is functioning in a normal first grade classroom despite both of them having down syndrome. Huff said these accomplishments would be impossible if it weren't for the therapy they received since they were just a few months old. "I can't imagine my kids not having it, because I know the growth that they did in the first three years," she said.

Developmentally disabled children are eligible for federal funding once they turn three, but that delay could end up costing the state more in the long-run. "There's a tremendous amount of research that says early intervention makes a huge difference," said Dr. Trudi Norman-Murch of Southwest Human Development. "Every dollar you spend helping children during the first few years pays off tremendously...just purely economically in terms of how much special ed they need later on, how much help they need in being independent."

Huff and her husband adopted two-year-old Max nine months ago and have seen major progress in his development. He also has down syndrome, and Huff said she can't imagine him no longer receiving therapy. "I keep telling my husband I hope I know enough," said Huff.

DES said all the cuts are difficult, but they have to manage within the resources the state gives them. The cuts are set to take effect March 1st. But advocates and parents are appealing to lawmakers and the governor to reconsider.

"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.

A local mom speaks out on television about the cuts affecting her family.

On Channel 3: DES cuts mean ending programs helping the Valley's disabled