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Families Helping Families urges restoration of $250,000 cut; statewide peer-support network warns of service loss
Summary
Several parents, self-advocates and Families Helping Families leaders told the committee to restore a $250,000 reduction to the Developmental Disabilities Council budget so nine regional parent-resource centers can continue peer support, trainings and travel.
Jamie DuPuche, chapter coordinator for People First of Louisiana, told senators the membership-based self-advocacy group needs restoration of $110,000 that LDH removed from its contract funding. “People First started in Louisiana over 25 years ago...The funding helps us hold meetings and trainings across the state, teach leadership and public speaking,” DuPuche said. “Without this money, we fear our voices are at risk of being silenced.”
Kelly Monroe, executive director of The Arc of Louisiana, said the group discovered hours before House public testimony that LDH had excluded $110,000 from contracts during an agency “efficiency” exercise. She described the funding as federally matched and said that in past years the state provided a $110,000 allotment (state portion reportedly about $62,000 with federal match for the balance). Monroe asked the committee to consider using the Disability Services Fund for the immediate restoration and to provide LDH documentation on the decision to eliminate the funds.
Multiple family members and regional Families Helping Families directors told personal stories about navigating early intervention, school services and medical needs and urged the committee to add an additional $250,000 to the Developmental Disabilities Council allocation to make the network whole. Odell Wilmer and Nicole Flores described crisis navigation and localized supports the centers provide and urged the Senate to restore the second $250,000 that would bring the total supplemental restoration to $500,000, including a $250,000 House insertion.
Committee members agreed the ask was modest in state terms and asked LDH and the council for immediate documentation about the match formula and timing. Senator Boudreaux and others said the House had already placed $250,000 into the bill and the Senate was considering adding the second $250,000 to reach the total the advocates requested.
Ending: Advocates were asked to deliver detailed match figures and LDH’s rationale for the exclusion; senators signaled willingness to consider a restoration if documentation supports the appropriation.
