State officials reassured panicked parents of babies and toddlers with developmental disabilities Tuesday that their services would continue until at least the end of the fiscal year and apologized for a memo sent last week that indicated services would be cut.
“We're not making any cuts to services,” said Lisa Roy, executive director of the Department of Early Childhood, which oversees the Early Intervention program. “Our goal is always to been to ensure that our families have the information they need while we actively work with state leaders on long-term solutions."
She spoke in an hour-and-a-half virtual meeting with about 300 families, among thousands who thought — up until Tuesday – their services were being cut. The Early Intervention program provides physical, speech, occupational and other therapies for children ages birth through 3 who have developmental delays. The state program serves about 11,000 children a month.
Some get help from nutritionists who help their premature babies learn to eat. Children who are deaf get support from audiologists. Children who are blind with brain malformations get help learning to walk. Children with autism get help learning to communicate or calm behavior.
Memo set off fear and sadness
A memo sent last week to “brokers” who contract with providers said “effective March 3, 2025” a number of changes “will occur.” Those included limiting children to four hours of services a month and stipulating that children enrolled in Medicaid can only get services that are eligible for payment through Medicaid. That left out a whole range of services such as mental health and nutrition support that many children and families access. The department said in the memo that cost-containment was necessary because of a $4 million budget hole in the Early Intervention program.
“We recognize that the way information about the planned cost saving measures was initially shared may have caused worry and confusion, and that was never the intent. And for that, we as a department sincerely apologize,” said Roy.
The memo sparked fear, sadness and anger in families this past week.
When members of the state legislature’s joint budget committee caught wind of the budget crisis, they held an emergency meeting Thursday. They promised to look for money to keep the same level of services through the end of the fiscal year.
Tuesday's forum online was organized for families to voice their worries and questions and for the department to answer them — and apologize.
“We do want to take accountability,” said Roy. “We do not want to gaslight at all... We should have gone back to [the Joint Budget Committee] as opposed to making a programmatic decision."
Some say confidence in system shaken
Some families said their confidence in the system has been shaken and the expressed frustration about the lack of clear updates. They said they were asking for clear, honest, open communication and feel like they haven’t gotten it.
"Right now, I'm sitting here trying to trust your intention, trying to trust your goals, trying to trust things will be different,” said one parent.
Another parent reported that her child’s physical therapist told her she was quitting amid all the turmoil.
"Just up and quit because she said she needed to jump ship before other people did,” she said. “So, are we going to see less providers? Is it going to take even longer to find a provider? It took two months to get her."
Mary Alice Cohen, the director of the Department of Early Childhood’s office of program delivery, responded that it was “upsetting and heartbreaking to hear that this caused one of our providers to quit.” She said that already the state is in a crisis with a shortage of early intervention providers. She offered to connect with that provider.
Listening sessions scheduled
Initially, department officials insisted the intent of the memo was to begin planning for cost containment strategies, not to eliminate services immediately. That didn’t sit well with families who said the memo clearly stated that services were being cut. Officials admitted that mistakes were made in how the information was shared. They said families should have been involved earlier in the process.
“I am ashamed,” said Roy. “This is not the way we want to operate."
Department officials acknowledged poor communication and scheduled a series of future listening sessions with providers and families.
"The power of this group is profound,” said Cohen. “As parents, the power that you have to raise your voices and lift up the challenges that you're facing is so important for legislators, the department, and everyone to hear."
