Governor Shapiro, DHS Secretary Arkoosh Hear from Pennsylvanians with ID/A, Caregivers, and Advocates About How Historic Budget Proposal Would Expand ID/A Services
Governor Josh Shapiro and Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh visited BARC Developmental Services in Bucks County to meet with Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A), caregivers, and advocates to hear how the proposed investments in the Governor’s 2024-25 budget will expand access to support home and community-based services and address the shortage of direct support professionals in our Commonwealth, and set a course to end Pennsylvania’s emergency waiting list for ID/A services.
Governor Shapiro proposed $483 million in federal and state funding to provide more resources for home and community-based service providers, so they in turn can pay competitive rates to attract and retain the staff who provide these essential services. The investment in direct support professionals (DSPs) and service providers will increase the average starting salary from approximately $15/hour to $17/hour – spurring additional raises for more experienced DSPs at the same time.
“A budget I think is more than just a set of numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s a statement of what your priorities are and what your principles are. My priorities and principles are helping folks like you, both the people who are receiving the support and the people who are providing the support,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “This year in our budget, we’re making an unprecedented investment – all in nearly a half a billion dollars of money from the state, money from the federal government – to create more opportunities for services to pay people a higher wage and to be able to hire more people to do this work.”
Roundtable Leaders:
Mary Sautter, BARC Executive Director
Governor Josh Shapiro
Secretary Val Arkoosh
