Advocacy

As the Covid-19 Pandemic has continued on into another calendar year, we are going to begin to further feel the financial impacts. Specifically, Budget cuts to Medicaid programs for home-based and community services are already feeling the loss of funding, as service agencies have seen a decrease in state reimbursement, an increase in the cost of PPE for programs, and an overall threat of further cuts to the budget. With these cuts, the financing  that fuels the necessary and mandated programs for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to the Direct Support Professionals who support them will be decreased or lost.  

We, the executive boards and members of both Garden City SEPTA and the Garden City PTA, write to you today to express our serious concerns about the loss of funding to our educational programs at the state level. Medicaid can and does directly reimburse school districts for many services, from nursing services, to to speech-language pathology, audiology, occupational and physical therapy, personal care services, counseling and psychological services and specialized transportation. These services are utilized by many in our community and a loss in funding would be detrimental to many of your own neighbors. The loss of funding for big programs, such as home and community-based services, is very troubling for us as advocates of our public education system and as parents and community members of Garden City and New York State.  

Please click on this link and sign the pre-written petitions to send to your state representatives and the governor, to voice your concern and outrage over these cuts to funding as the 2022 New York State budget begins to take shape. You also have the option to edit the message to include your own comments and concerns. Speak out and advocate for the programs that are essential to so many families, from Garden City and all over New York State.