Sherri Henderson: Disability services provider struggles amid rising costs, funding issues
My husband and I are passionate about our mission to provide crucial freedom and choice for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Our personal experience with our son, who has Down syndrome, inspired us to start providing advocacy services for individuals with disabilities.
Our company, Henderson Haven, has been focused on this mission since 2003. We believe that community-based programs are essential for families who want a real choice about the kind of care their loved ones receive and we are committed to providing a range of services, including respite care and after-school programs, to allow individuals with disabilities to live full and independent lives.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner have been incredibly supportive of our industry and — more importantly — the people we serve. For that, we are forever grateful. However, community-based programs like ours that support the neediest Floridians have faced significant financial challenges in recent years.
Since 2021, many facilities have been forced to close due to financial constraints. Organizations like ours have been unable to find staff, while our administrative costs and overhead expenses have remained high. We are frustrated to see state institutions receive funding increases while programs like ours are left to struggle. It is time for all of us to join in this mission to support organizations like ours and invest in community-based programs that give families real options for their loved ones.
As a provider of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, my husband Lee and I face numerous challenges when it comes to financing our programs, especially with the rising costs of non-wage services. It's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain these programs as insurance rates, rent and maintenance costs continue to rise at an alarming rate.
Unfortunately, the Consumer Price Index has increased by 20% over the last five years, but there has been no adjustment or addressing of the increasing non-wage operational costs for iBudget providers during that time. This means that we are feeling the squeeze of increased prices, just like everyone else.
It's essential to understand that adequately financing non-wage services for these programs could become a serious problem if not addressed. Without sufficient funding, it's challenging to keep these programs running and provide quality care for the people we serve. We hope that policymakers and others in positions of influence will consider the needs of these programs and the people they serve as they make decisions about funding and operational costs.
Our company has an adult program that is waiver-funded, but we have struggled to find staff for it, leaving us with a waiting list of individuals in need of support and services. We also have a private school program that was created to provide a safe, supportive environment for individuals who have been unsuccessful in other programs. The rising labor and operating expenses have made the costs of these services difficult for many families.
Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to providing the support and services that will allow individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full and independent lives. We want to enable everyone we serve to have their own place and a life of true choice.
While we understand that rising costs continue to be a significant challenge for us and other providers, we believe that our mission is too important to give up now. We know that there are still so many individuals and families out there who need our help and we will continue to do everything we can to provide the support and services they need.
Sherri and Lee Henderson are the founders of Henderson Haven, a nonprofit organization in Orange Park that offers intensive behavioral intervention, early autism intervention, developmental disability services, autism service dogs and resource services for parents and caregivers.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville-area disability services nonprofit expresses struggles
