County affirms needs plan and continued license for Laura Baker ICF/DD; six Rice County residents served there

Rice County Social Services presented and the county board approved the local systems needs plan for intermediate care facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities (ICF/DD), covering how those facilities fit within the county’s service delivery model and the county’s recommendations for Laura Baker Services Association.

Mark Hedenstrom and Megan Thomas presented the county’s assessment, noting Rice County has one ICF/DD provider, Laura Baker Services Association, which holds a 30‑bed license on a campus setting with five cottages. The county’s report said Laura Baker had recent Minnesota Department of Health investigations and “made required corrections and were cleared of their citations,” and the provider currently holds a 2025 license. County staff reported there are approximately 400 Rice County residents receiving home‑and‑community‑based services through the developmental disabilities waiver; six Rice County residents currently live at Laura Baker.

Presenters said Laura Baker would like to maintain its current 30‑bed capacity. Rice County indicated it would support decertification of beds for Rice County consumers who choose to transition into home‑and‑community‑based waiver services but would consider decertification for out‑of‑county consumers on a case‑by‑case basis. The board moved to approve the needs determination and recommendation to continue the licensed services; the motion carried by voice vote.

Motion: approve the local systems needs plan and recommended continued licensing for Laura Baker Services Association (30 beds).