The Arc of Illinois opposes the Proposed Budget State Budget.

The Arc of Illinois represents the 220,000 infants, children and adults with intellectual and
other developmental disabilities and their families in Illinois. Statewide fifty-five disability
organizations and over 10,000 individual members support the good work of The Arc.

We realize that the Governor, his team and the state face major challenges but we cannot
cut our way out of this state budget crisis. Disability Services, Special Education and all of
Human Services cannot sustain further cuts. What is needed is new revenue.

The Arc for decades has identified wasteful and unnecessary spending in the Division of
Developmental Disabilities budget but it is not addressed in this proposed budget. The
proposed budget supports continuation of seven fully operational state institutions here in
Illinois. These antiquated, obsolete state institutions unnecessarily segregate 1,730
individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, IDD, from the community
at large.

In this budget, we spend $428,754,550 in taxpayer monies on those seven fully operational
state institutions. This averages to a per person rate of $247,835 in each state institution.
A small group home or CILA costs $53,627 per person and this cost also includes day
services. I must note that CILA is underfunded and should be funded closer to $80,000 per
person to support smaller residences of four people or less. With this in mind, supporting
community living is a cost benefit of about 3 to 1. Community living is also safer, healthier
and people are happier according to over 30 years of research on institutional closures in
the United States.

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Tony Paulauski
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org