Last month, NorthJersey.com reported on the Community Care Program Waiting List and The Arc of New Jersey's advocacy to increase funding in the FY25 State Budget to move more people off the Waiting List every year for the next three years. The article featured The Arc of NJ's Family Advisory Committee Chair Kathy Mullery and her family (pictured above). Click the photo above to access the story, or click here to download it and learn more. The Governor's proposed FY25 Budget includes funding to move 400 people off the Waiting List. We are thankful that the Governor heard our advocacy on this matter and included this appropriation. We will now advocate with the Legislature to try and move that funding even higher to reach our goal of 600 people in FY25. 

On Tuesday, February 27, Governor Murphy delivered his Budget Address, outlining his funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2025. I was honored to be among those present for the speech in the Assembly Chamber that day and to speak with Governor Murphy at a reception following the event (pictured below). In total, the Governor is proposing a $55.9 billion dollar spending plan which would begin on July 1, 2024. The Arc of New Jersey is in the process of reviewing the proposed document and determining how the Budget will impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. At this time we can share the following information:

• $5.25 million to phase in an increase of new mandatory training for Direct Support Professionals (DHS)
• An additional $31.8 million, for a total of $67.8 million, for the WorkAbility program expansion. Workability allows people with disabilities to continue their Medicaid benefits as their income and wealth rises, reducing barriers to employment.
• $20.9 million to annualize the impact of wage increases approved in last year’s budget for direct support professionals and supervisors.

All reports leading up to the Budget Address indicate that the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget will be far less generous than last year, as federal COVID relief dollars have dried up and the State faces lagging state tax collections and persistent inflation. However, these predictions will not stop us from advocating in the halls of Trenton and pushing for needed funding to improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. In response to our advocacy, more than $1.4 billion dollars in new state and federal dollars have been added into the DDD system during this Administration. This illustrates the strength of our grassroots network, and it is proof that when we are unified and we use our voice, we are a powerful and successful tool for change. I hope you will continue to stand by us in the coming months as our Budget work continues.

Thomas Baffuto Executive Director, The Arc of NJ

Guardianship vs. Power of Attorney: Which One is Right for Your Loved One with IDD

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

6:00pm - 7:30pm

This presentation is presented by Hinkle Prior & Fischer.