| County reduces respite care funding |
|
|
| Wednesday, 13 May 2009 | |
|
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Managing editor The Anoka County Board has reduced county funding to a program that provides respite care service to parents with children who are developmentally disabled. Back in December 2008, Gov. Tim Pawlenty unilaterally cut the state budget, which included aid to counties and cities, in a process called unallotment. This was necessitated because of a revenue forecast that showed that the state’s 2007-2009 budget would end up in the red by the end of the biennium, June 30, 2009. Anoka County was forced to absorb $2.1 million in state aid cuts and a revised licensed respite care policy for the approval of county funds for parents with children with developmental disabilities is one result of those reductions, according to Bill Pinsonnault, county director of social services and mental health. The county had budgeted $150,000 for the licensed respite care program, but that has now been cut to $75,000, Pinsonnault said. And that money left in the program will only be spent where there are emergencies, he said. The policy for the use of county dollars approved by the county board on the recommendation of its Human Services Committee states: • A time-limited authorization to respond to a crisis or emergency of three months at a time, with a one-year total maximum. • An ongoing (more than a year) authorization related to a current or previous child protection case that responds to a persistent situation where there is strong likelihood of maltreatment. But parents of children with developmental disabilities will still have three other programs to access for funds to provide respite care services, licensed or unlicensed, according to Pinsonnault. These are the family support grant program, consumer support grants and the Anoka support grant program, Pinsonnault said. “These programs provide flexibility,” Pinsonnault said. They are available to families using 50 percent Medical Assistance dollars, he said. Peter Bodley is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|