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Easterseals, Lund thank Legislature for post‑permanency funding boost; urge continued support
Summary
Easterseals and Lund representatives thanked the committee for a recent funding increase to post‑permanency services that support adoptive and guardianship families and asked for continued, sustained support to maintain staff and services.
Representatives from Easterseals and Lund thanked the Senate Health & Welfare Committee on Jan. 21 for recent legislative funding increases for post-permanency services and described how ongoing support helps families formed by adoption or guardianship.
Paul Gevo of Easterseals and Melissa (last name not provided), leader of post-permanency services at Lund, told the committee the programs provide trauma‑informed supports to families in their homes and communities. Paul said the programs aim to "keep these families together and healthy," and that a $370,000 increase included in the recent fiscal year budget helped agencies hire and retain skilled staff.
Melissa read a parent statement submitted with testimony that described the services' impact: "Thanks to my post permanency service provider, I learned that parenting children from the foster care system is not intuitive. These children often need the very opposite of what their bodies are communicating... Post permanency plays a primary role in this for our family." She said families need specialized ongoing supports after adoption or guardianship, and the services fill that need.
Both presenters said they were not asking for an immediate new request at the hearing but wanted to make the committee aware of program value and thanked legislators for prior support. Committee members acknowledged the testimony and noted plans to coordinate with the finance committee on related budget decisions.
