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Community Aids

ISSUE:

Community Aids provides core funding to counties for basic community services to people with developmental and other disabilities and other needs. When the Community Aids system was established in 1974, the state used a combination of state and federal dollars to provide approximately 90% of the funding for county-run human services. Counties had to provide a "match" of approximately 10% in order to capture funding. As costs of services have increased, the State's contribution has not kept pace with the rate of inflation or case load growth, causing many counties to come up with "overmatch," a supplemental amount to compensate for the inadequate state funding.

The amount of county overmatch to support programs serving people with developmental disabilities has increased over time:

• 1995: $30 million in overmatch
• 1996: $31 million in overmatch
• 1997: $34 million in overmatch
• 1998: $48 million in overmatch
• 1999: $50 million in overmatch

POSITION:

The WCDD supports retaining the county run system of supporting people with developmental disabilities. The WCDD supports increasing funding to counties to enable them to provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities across the lifespan.

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES:

The Council supports the following legislative initiatives:

• Increase state funding by 3% each year of the biennium in addition to state funding to compensate for federal block grant cuts.

Back to WCDD Home Page> Introduction

1. Introduction
2. Birth to Three
3. Campaign Finance Reform
4. Children's Long Term Care Redesign
5. Community Aids
6. Community Integration Program
7. Community Options Program
8. Dental Care Access
9. Direct Service Workforce Shortage
10. Education of Students with Disabilities
11. Employment
12. Family Care Program
13. Family Support Program
14. Independent Living Assistive Technology
15. Medicaid Card Services
16. Mental Health: Fairness in Insurance
17. Mental Health: Services & Supports
18. Protecting People with Disabilities from Abuse
19. Respite Care
20. Specialized Transportation
21. State Centers for the Developmentally Disabled
22. Voting Reforms
23. Welfare Reform & People with Disabilities