Countywide : Disabilities Center OKs Spending Cuts

The agency that funnels state aid to developmentally disabled people in Orange County has approved a spending plan that includes asking some parents to assume more of the costs.

Officials of the Developmental Disabilities Center said the spending reductions are necessary because state funds are about $3 million short of what is needed.

Eileen Bamberg, chief executive officer of the center, said the state is giving $47.1 million to the county for the developmentally disabled this year, compared to $47.7 million last year. Those amounts include operating costs for the center.

“The amount of funding for this year does not allow for growth, and we anticipate serving 460 more developmentally disabled persons in the county this year,” Bamberg said. The lack of funds for new clients makes up most of the $3-million shortfall, she said.

Officials of the agency met Wednesday night to adopt spending cutbacks.

One change involves asking parents to pay more of the costs. Bamberg said this reflects state policy. “One of the things the state is doing is to ask families to provide a share of support for the (developmentally disabled) child that the family would provide for a normal child,” Bamberg said.

Center officials delayed action Wednesday on proposed changes to funding for physical and occupational therapy. They decided instead to consider “paying parents directly a set rate” for such therapy for their children and allowing parents pick their own specialists.

The center’s spending plan for the next fiscal year includes a total of $70,000 for merit raises for about 75 of the 180 employees of the center. “That $70,000 is a very small part of the $8.4-million operating expenses for the center for the next year,” Bamberg said. “None of our employees have had pay raises for the past 2 1/2 years.” She said the merit raises would go to employees who have had to assume more work because 32 staff vacancies have not been filled.

The center is one of several in the state created by state law to funnel state funds for the developmentally disabled. The nonprofit centers hire therapists and pay for care homes for disabled clients, among other services.

The Orange County center is based in Orange and serves about 7,300 clients. Bamberg said that number is expected to grow to about 7,760 clients by next June.