FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2024

Contact: [email protected]

“We’re striving to keep our doors open, lights on and services available for those who depend on us. This isn’t sustainable.”

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Writing in the San Antonio Express-News last week, Dona Kotzur – President & CEO of Time To Care coalition member the Arc of San Antonio – celebrated the organization’s 70^th anniversary and called on Texas leaders to step up and fulfill the state’s responsibility to enhance support for Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by providing community-based direct support professionals (DSPs) with a sustainable wage increase. Kotzur detailed the current workforce crisis facing community-based IDD services and elaborated on the challenges that nonprofits like the Arc of San Antonio face while sustaining quality care and services for the IDD community:

“As we celebrate our legacy and look to a hope-filled future, we’re also addressing a growing challenge that threatens the stability of services for Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The backbone of such services in our state is the remarkable workforce of direct support professionals…These compassionate individuals are not just caregivers; they are mentors, friends and often family to those they support. Each day, direct support professionals assist with essential tasks such as personal hygiene, feeding and medication management, while guiding life skills and providing emotional support.”

Kotzur pointed out the shocking reality that community-based DSPs in Texas are reimbursed at a rate of only $10.60 an hour — lower than most fast food workers’ starting wages – prompting nonprofit organizations like the Arc to constantly raise funds to offer competitive wages for those who care for Texans with IDD:

“We’re fighting to change that. We raise almost $1 million yearly to offer our direct support professionals a competitive wage of more than $16 an hour. We’re striving to keep our doors open, lights on and services available for those who depend on us… This isn’t sustainable.”

“Philanthropy should be a partner to public funding, not a replacement. Unfortunately, the cracks in our system are widening. Statewide, staff vacancy rates at community-based intellectual and developmental disabilities service providers have increased from 30% in 2021 to about 34%.”

“The Legislature must raise the reimbursement rates for direct support professionals working in community-based settings like the Arc to $17 an hour, a pay level necessary to retain quality employees. We’re grateful for the generous support of our donors, but philanthropy isn’t the long-term solution.”

To read Kotzur’s full column in the San Antonio Express-News, please click here.

To learn more about the Time To Care coalition’s work to enhance state support for community IDD services in Texas, please visit https://timetocaretx.org/

###