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Big Lakes warns rising wait list and staffing shortages will limit care as Kansas waiver caps services at $20,000
Summary
A Big Lakes representative told the Raleigh County Commission Feb. 2 that Kansas' developmental-services wait list has swollen to 4,788—above the intended 4,000 cap—and warned a new community support waiver that limits annual services to $20,000 (effective Oct. 2026) could force people to give up their place on the long statewide wait list.
A representative of Big Lakes told the Board of Raleigh County Commissioners at its Feb. 2 meeting that Kansas' statewide wait list for developmental services stands at 4,788 people, exceeding the program's intended cap of 4,000 and creating an "invisible" backlog of people who have funding but cannot be placed with providers.
"The wait list for Kansas is still at ... 4,788 individuals, which is an interesting thing to note that the wait list is supposed to be capped at 4,000, but we've creeped up beyond that," the presenter said.
The speaker said the state is developing a "community support waiver" that would cap an individual's year‑long package of paid services at $20,000 and that the waiver's implementation is scheduled for October 2026. The presenter warned that an individual who elects the community support waiver would relinquish their spot on the long statewide wait list.
"If an individual decides to go to community support waiver, they will be capped at that $20,000 for the year," the presenter said, and added that "in order to go to the community support waiver, you give up your spot on the 8 year long wait list." The speaker framed that as a substantial risk for clients and said advocacy will be needed to address provider capacity before the waiver's rollout.
The presenter described provider capacity constraints: Big Lakes has 75 people on an internal wait list for whom the organization has funding; the presenter said the group currently has 92 openings but is about 40 full‑time staff short. They said managers and staff are working extra shifts and that the provider is "trickling in" admissions as openings become available.
For recent activity and funding, the presenter said Big Lakes admitted seven people to day services and seven to residential placements in 2025, raised $66,000 in a recent annual giving campaign designated for home remodeling and accessibility improvements, and replaced an HVAC unit and main breaker in November. The organization said it serves 114 individuals across 17 group homes and is meeting with an architect on remodel plans for its Hayes Drive center.
The commission did not press additional questions after the update. The presenter said Big Lakes anticipates renewing its license by the end of February and stressed that without additional staff and capacity, the provider will struggle to convert long wait lists into actual services.
Next steps: the presenter said advocacy around capacity and waiver policy will continue; no formal county action was taken at the meeting on the provider's recommendations.
