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Council committee backs DD and adult medical daycare supplements, weighs villages startup grants
Summary
The HHS committee placed the County Executive's recommended 2.5% supplement for developmental disability providers and a 2.5% adult medical daycare supplement on the reconciliation list; members debated adding a second 2.5% tranche for parity and proposed a $60,000 competitive grant to start villages in underserved areas.
Council staff and department leaders presented the Aging & Disability Services (A&D) budget and program priorities to the Health & Human Services Committee. Dr. Patrice McGee, Chief of Aging & Disability Services, emphasized demographic pressures: the county's 60+ population is projected to grow from roughly 260,000 in 2025 to about 330,000 by 2045, and the 80+ cohort is expected to nearly double. McGee said that growth means increasing demand for home- and community-based supports and flagged federal and state uncertainties (Older Americans Act reauthorization, Social Services Block Grant, and cuts proposed by the Developmental Disabilities Administration).
Council staff recommended placing several items on the reconciliation list. The County Executive proposed a 2.5% developmental-disability (DD) provider supplement ($558,621) to help nonprofit providers offset higher local costs; staff noted the supplement historically responds to inflation and county-specific wage dynamics. Councilmember Friedson and others supported the supplement and encouraged parity discussions: "I think there should be parity between the providers," Friedson said, proposing that the county consider adding a second 2.5% tranche for a 5% total and asking staff to provide the exact combined dollar amount (staff estimated a 5% total would equate to about $1,140,000 for the programmatic package).
The committee also considered a 2.5% support payment for adult medical daycare providers ($62,392) and linked the nonprofit-parity conversation to both supplements. Councilmembers urged staff to provide a clearer payroll/wage-gap analysis tied to the county minimum-wage increase (July 1) to show whether supplements close the gap for direct-support professionals.
Dr. McGee and staff additionally reviewed programmatic updates: (1) the nursing-home inspection memorandum of understanding with the Maryland Department of Health will transfer inspection responsibilities back to the county (public-health services will lead the MOU and DHHS expects recruitment and MD certification of staff); (2) the Montgomery County Villages program (25 active villages, 11 developing) delivered widespread services and volunteer hours but lacks sustained capacity in some underserved areas; the Commission on Aging requested $60,000 to launch villages via a competitive grant program to support start-up capacity and fiscal-agency partnerships. The committee agreed to place the DD and AMDC supplements and the villages grant proposal on the reconciliation list and requested additional packet detail (scope, history of past village startups, and sustainability metrics) for full-council consideration.
Ending: Staff will calculate exact dollar implications for any additional tranches and include the supplemental proposals and village-startup grant language in reconciliation materials for full-council review.
