State Budget Highlights for Developmental Disabilities Funding

Below are the primary budget items in the Governor's budget for FY 2015 for Developmental Disabilities funding. Our thanks to the reporting by the Maryland Association of Community Services (MACS), the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and The Arc Maryland.

RATE INCREASE: $18.3 million ($10.2m General Funds (GF)*/ $8.1m Federal Funds (FF) for a mid-year 4% rate increase for DDA community services, which is the inflationary increase mandated under SB 633. The Governor's budget includes a 4% rate increase that would be effective on January 1, 2015, halfway through Fiscal Year 2015.

TRANSITIONING YOUTH: $5.1 million ($2.9 million GF / $2.2m FF) to serve 596 Transitioning Youth (TY). This is approximately half of what the Governor put in his proposed budget last year. DDA has communicated to us that the FY 2015 proposal reflects what was actually spent in FY 13 on Transitioning Youth. The DD Coalition has recommended that DDA look at actual TY costs based on earlier years (such as FY 11) when there were not such significant delays in transitioning youth entering services. Once that data is available, the DD Coalition will recommend additional funding in a supplemental budget, assuming that the request is supported by the utilization data from FY 11.

CRISIS RESOLUTION / REVERTED FUNDS: $2.6 million in General Funds to serve 99 people from the Crisis Resolution category of the DDA Waiting List. This is the final installment of the three-year commitment made by the Governor as a result of the reversion of funds discovered in earlier fiscal years. The Governor committed to spending $28.5 million in general funds over a three-year period (FY 13-15) to serve 300 people in the Crisis Resolution category of the DDA Waiting List.

WAITING LIST EQUITY FUND: $460,000 ($287,000 in special funds) to serve an additional 37 people through the Waiting List Equity Fund.

EMERGENCY PLACEMENTS: $1 million to fund 60 people who need emergency placements.

LOW INTENSITY SUPPORT SERVICES (LISS): $4.7 million in General Funds (this is not matched with federal funds)
Note: In FY 2014, LISS was funded at $5.1m with $4.4 of this amount utilized for services and the balance applied to provider administrative costs. DDA advises that most, if not all, of the $4.7m in FY2015 will be applied to services. DDA reports that its intention is not to reduce LISS direct service funding. Administrative costs for LISS in FY2015 will be covered by other parts of the budget according to DDA.

COURT-INVOLVED SERVICES: $770,000 ($422,000 in General Funds) to serve an additional 30 people with court involvement.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: $625,000 for major IT projects to strengthen DDA's fiscal system.

MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: The vast majority of MSDE's budget was level funded in FY 2015, including $10.4 Million for the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program and approximately $12 Million for the autism waiver program. There was no money appropriated for additional slots this year so the autism waiver program will continue to serve 1000 children. The Division of Childhood Development's budget increased by 6%, mostly due to additional state funds ($4.3 Million) to expand access to prekindergarten for young children and federal funds ($8 Million) for the child care subsidy program which provides financial assistance with child care costs to eligible working families.

*General Funds (GF) refers to state funds.

Connect with The Arc