New Grassroots Advocacy Campaigns
In addition to our ongoing Executive Budget campaigns and upcoming Day-of-Action, The Arc New York has launched three new online campaigns, highlighting some of our key Advocacy Priorities for the 2023-24 legislative session. Click on the links below to take action now, and visit our Advocacy Action Center to easily share them all from a single place!
853/4410 Special Education Schools
Early intervention, preschool, and other school-age programs are essential for young children with I/DD and other disabilities. However, these special education schools have historically and inequitably been underfunded. Special Education teachers are underpaid for their contributions, making it difficult to recruit and retain great teachers.
It's very important that we tell Governor Hochul and NYS Legislators to fund 853/4410 schools with an 8.5% COLA, plus 5% wage enhancements for teachers. Additionally, we're asking for changes that allow schools to invest and plan ahead.
Address The Critical Workforce Shortage
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are essential workers who provide daily care, services and supports to people with intellectual and developmentally disabilities (I/DD) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Caring for people with complex needs is a rewarding yet challenging job, which requires ongoing training, high-level of responsibility, and skill.
We are calling on Congress, NYS Legislature, and Governor Hochul to:
- Establish a new Direct Support Wage Enhancement (DSWE) as part of the SFY 2024 New York State budget to help bring direct care workforce compensation closer to what they deserve
- Include the statuary COLA in the NYS Enacted Budget, which stands at 8.5% for FY24
- Ensure that OPWDD commits to an acuity-based rate methodology that fully compensates providers on par with state operated programs.
- Create and fund a permanent joint credential and career ladder program for DSPs, implement a multi-tiered credential program for DSPs tied to increased pay for people completing each tier, and open up career pipelines from high school to the DSP workforce with certification.
Sustain and Expand Funding Supports for People with Disabilities
For decades, New York state has not made adequate investments to sustain the essential programs and services people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on. This systemic underfunding has driven us into a critical staffing crisis and eroded New York's system of supports for its citizens with I/DD.
We are calling on Congress, NYS Legislature, and Governor Hochul to:
- Increase the FMAP for New York state by 10 percentage points. This is in line with the proposal advanced through the Better Care Better Jobs Act.
- Include the statuary COLA in the NYS Enacted Budget, which stands at 8.5% for FY24
- Include an additional and ongoing sustainability investments comparable to the workforce funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), closing the historic funding gap and preventing a fiscal cliff at the end of the funding period.
- Raise SSI asset limits from $2,000 to $10,000 for individuals and from $3,000 to $20,000 for married couples and indexes them to inflation moving forward.
Even if these topics do not directly impact you or a loved one, we ask that you stand alongside others within the I/DD community and support them by participating in these campaigns and sharing on social media.
