Parents of children with developmental disabilities fear the unexpected and potentially imminent elimination of a Washington state support program they\u2019ve come to depend on.<\/p>\n
As the state deals with budget troubles, Washington officials say the Parent to Parent program\u2019s future isn\u2019t guaranteed past August.<\/p>\n
Parent to Parent<\/a> provides support and resources for families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities. The program\u2019s name comes from its pairing of newer parents with more experienced ones to help guide them through the complicated system of resources, as well as provide support and community. It also features \u201csibshops\u201d to support siblings of people with developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n The first Parent to Parent program in Washington was established in 1980 in King County. Today, it serves families of children and adults in all of Washington\u2019s 39 counties, with tens of thousands of calls and emails for assistance every year.<\/p>\n Parents believe the program, costing about $900,000 a year, is invaluable, and can\u2019t be replicated or recreated if state funding disappears.<\/p>\n \u201cWe fill in the gaps for areas where government really can\u2019t provide this kind of support,\u201d said Stacy Dym, executive director of The Arc of Washington State, an organization advocating for people with developmental disabilities. The Arc oversees the statewide program under a contract with the state Department of Social and Health Services.<\/p>\n \u2018Completely taken aback\u2019<\/p>\n This comes as Gov. Bob Ferguson has pledged not to propose tax increases in his two-year budget proposal later this year. Instead, the first-term Democrat says he\u2019ll rely on cuts as the state faces another, potential multibillion-dollar shortfall. He has specifically cited programs created or expanded after 2019<\/a> as possible targets for reductions. Lawmakers will pass a new budget working off the governor\u2019s blueprint next year.<\/p>\n Parent to Parent received funding in the current budget. But advocates are worried the Department of Social and Health Services is letting contracts lapse, trying to get ahead of budget talks. Dym was \u201ccompletely taken aback.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s destructive, and it doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense, and probably would cost more to rebuild the infrastructure,\u201d said Cathy Murahashi, advocacy and policy specialist at The Arc.<\/p>\n Agency spokesperson Jessica Nelson said \u201cno funding decisions have been made for Parent to Parent or any other DSHS program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBudget conversations are ongoing and must consider our state and federal funding,\u201d Nelson said in an email. \u201cOur goal is to meet the challenge of the moment in a way that sustainably protects core services and ensures that Washington has a solid financial foundation for the long-term.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the agency doesn\u2019t have a timeline for a decision on the future of Parent to Parent, but the program\u2019s contract only runs through August. Initially, it was only through July, but state officials extended it another month.<\/p>\n Dym is frustrated with the process<\/a>, as usually decisions on spending cuts are subject to public hearings in the Legislature.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t get any of that notice,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just got told that the contract is under review, and there\u2019s a good chance it won\u2019t be renewed. \u201c<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s everything to our family\u2019<\/p>\n Jenna Vogel first encountered the program at a \u201cbreaking point\u201d when her son, Jonah, was 2 years old. Jonah has Level 2 autism and complications from being born premature. Unable to find support for her child, she felt she was failing. Vogel\u2019s husband was working extra hours, as she left her job.<\/p>\n