FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2025

Contact: [email protected]

AUSTIN, TX – In case you missed it, this week Evergreen Life Services chairman Frank C. Davis III published an opinion column in the Dallas Morning News calling on the Texas Legislature to prioritize wage increases for community-based direct support professionals (DSPs) who serve Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

In his column, Davis sheds light on the day-to-day struggles of nonprofit IDD service providers and other community-based care settings across the state due to the ongoing workforce crisis impacting their ability to deliver quality, continuous care to our state’s most vulnerable residents:

“As a result of the current low wage rate, many group homes struggle with insufficient staffing levels for full bed capacity. With an appropriate minimum wage rate of $17.50 an hour, a consensus base wage rate agreed by the Private Providers Association of Texas, group homes can hire and keep well-trained staff who will provide the level of care that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities require.”

Davis also highlights the economic advantage of investing in community-based IDD services, making clear that preventative, community-integrated care is far more cost-effective than emergency interventions or institutional placements:

“When individuals are well-cared for in community-based settings, such as group homes, they are less likely to require expensive institutional care or emergency services.”

Beyond the financial implications, Davis asserts that this is a matter of fundamental human dignity – one that speaks to the core values we hold dear as Texans:

“The state has a responsibility to protect the life, rights and dignity of all its residents, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By failing to invest in caregivers in group homes, Texas risks harming individuals with these disabilities.”

As the legislative session unfolds, the message from Davis and other advocates is crystal clear: Texas must act now to stabilize community IDD services in Texas and raise wages for DSPs.

To read Davis’ full column in the Dallas Morning News, click here.

To read more about how the Texas Legislature can stem this crisis and restore stability to community IDD services in Texas, click here.

Time To Care: Save Texas Caregivers Now is a coalition dedicated to securing competitive wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide essential care to Texans with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Through collaboration and grassroots efforts, the coalition strives to enact meaningful change at both the legislative and community levels. Learn more about how to get involved at https://timetocaretx.org/

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