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23 February 2009

We are all aware that these are trying economic times for a lot of people and organizations, and Arizona has been struggling to balance the state budget.  Unfortunately, our representatives have chosen to do this by cutting funding to services for disabled children.  They have targeted the most vulnerable in our society and have made plans to completely eliminate the early intervention program that provides support for developmentally delayed and handicap children under the age of three. 

As the mom of a child who has benefited from early intervention, I cannot even begin to tell you how valuable these services have been to Lucy and our family.  These changes mean that kids like Lucy will get NO physical therapy, NO speech therapy, NO occupational therapy, NO developmental specialists, and NO support coordinators.  This is truly a tragedy for too many babies and their families in AZ.

Early Intervention has been proven to be cost effective by preparing these kids for school and improving their odds of becoming independent adults, effectually reducing the need for more expensive special education and societal support later on in life.  Birth to three years is a critical time in a child's life when an immense amount of growth and development occur, and it is a valuable window of opportunity that cannot be reclaimed.

Luckily, Lucy recently qualified for Long-term Care Services (thanks to a kind-hearted government employee), which is federally funded and at the moment will continue to pay for her therapy; although, we will likely have to pay for music therapy ourselves if we still want it because, even if you can get approved, they have cut their payment to music therapists by 55% making it nearly impossible to find someone willing to provide it.  It is difficult to qualify for Long-term Care before the age of three, even if the child has a disability such as Down Syndrom, cerebral palsy, autism, or mental retardation because the system in place to determine eligability was not designed to reflect the needs of young children.  Hence the need for the state-funded Early Intervention Program.

We are fortunate in that the effect on Lucy will be minimal, but it was heartbreaking to see other moms get the news today at Lucy's school that their children, who NEED these services, will no longer be getting ANY therapy or support.  Obviously this will also affect any of you who may have delayed or disabled children in the future.  I am sure that the long-term effects of this decision will be far-reaching, over-whelming Special Ed programs and other social programs as these children are forced to grow up without getting the best start possible, the start that these sweet babies deserve.

So, why am I telling you all of this?  Because, as citizens of Arizona, we need to act in support of this critical program.  PLEASE contact your legislators and Governor Brewer and let them know, politely and respectfully, that this is not acceptable.  Tell them that while we acknowledge the need to make difficult budgeting decisions, we are not ok with them targeting disabled children to bear the burden of our state's budget shortfall.  You are welcome to use anything from this post in your communication with them and if you would like a form letter then please leave a comment with your email address.

Governor Brewer can be contacted at 602-542-4331 or go to her website at http://azgovernor.gov/contact.asp where you can find a mailing address or electronically submit a comment.

To locate your other representatives, visit www.azleg.gov and under FAQ, click on "How do I find my legislators?"

We also plan on attending a rally at the state capitol on Thursday, so let me know if you are interested in joining us. 

Thank you for reading this and for your continued support of Lucy and our famiy!

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