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Dear Families,

The Arc of New Jersey would like to take this opportunity to thank those who responded to our recent action alert about the State's proposed Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Transition Plan. As we previously noted, this plan will have a significant impact on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities for years to come. The action alert sent out at the beginning of the month resulted in an outpouring of comments to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and a passionate response from families. In addition to oral testimony presented at a public input session, DHS also received a significant amount of written comments from individuals across New Jersey. The final date to submit comments was yesterday, Thursday, February 26.

Families did an outstanding job making their voices heard. DHS must now summarize all the comments they received for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to review. We await a response from DHS about how they plan to proceed with the Transition Plan and any changes they may make. As soon as we know more we will communicate it with all of you.

Thank you again for taking the time to advocate on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Your contribution to our efforts is what makes our advocacy such a strong force. Keep a lookout for additional information about the HCBS Transition Plan in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, if you have any questions about HCBS, please feel free to contact our office.

Sincerely,

The Arc of New Jersey Family Institute