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A Commitment To Care:Helping Kane County Residents

Who Have Developmental Disabilities

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• People who become severely and permanently disabled before age 22.

• Most are born with their disabilities. These disabilities are not the result of personal or life style choices.

• Most are mentally disabled or mentally and physically disabled.

• Developmental disabilities include mental retardation/intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism and muscular dystrophy.

• Most do not have the ability to care for themselves or the capacity to live independently.

Who Is Developmentally Disabled?

80% of our residents know someone with a developmental disability: our children, relatives, neighbors, friends, colleagues.

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• Kane County has 10,000 residents who have developmental disabilities and need life long help.

• Kane County has another 10,000 residents who have disabilities and need less intensive help.

• More than 1,000 Kane County residents who need help are on a waiting list that grows monthly.

• There are 16,640 school children currently in Kane County special education programs. Half of these children will require community help as they reach age 21.

• People now cared for at home will increasingly require residential placement and other community support as a record number of parents exceed age 65.

How Many People Need Help?

Tens of thousands and the list grows daily.

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Housing Supervised apartment and group home living so that people who have disabilities will not become warehoused or homeless.

Jobs Sheltered workshops, employment training and job placement so that people who have disabilities can work or become employable.

Transportation Para transit services to get to work, medical care, church and other community resources.

Respite Temporary relief for families caring for disabled loved ones at home.

What Care Is Needed?

Assistance for living aproductive and dignified life.

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• Few families have the financial resources to pay for the life care services.

• Illinois ranks 48th of 50 states in funding developmental disability services.

• State payments to cash strapped organizations comes 4-5 months after services are provided.

• Federal and state funds are declining while local needs are increasing.

• More and more children are transitioning from school to adult services.

• People cared for at home will also require community services as baby boomer care-giving parents age.

What Is The Challenge?

Increasing needs and decreasing funding.

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Local Funding For Our Neighbors Who

Have Developmental

Disabilities

How Can We Help?

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• State law authorizes a county referendum to fund disability services.

• If passed, up to $13 million would be raised by a .1% property tax, costing the owner of a $200,000 house only $61 a year.

• The referendum can be placed on the ballot by petition or by the County Board.

• You can help by signing our petition and by collecting signatures.

• You can also contact your representative on the County Board urging his or her support for local funding.

How to ProvideLocal Funding?

Sign our petition and contact your CountyBoard representative.

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More Residents with Disabilities will . . .

• Become institutionalized or homeless.

• Become or remain unemployed.

• Become more isolated with less access to medical care, church and other community resources.

• Be unable to access respite care.

• Have families with increased emotional and financial stress.

• Have less dignity and purpose.

What Will Happen If We Don’t Act?

The quality of life inKane County will bediminished.

QUESTIONS?