Ray Graham

Association
2801 Finley Road
Downers Grove, IL
60515
(630) 620-2222
www.raygraham.or

Impact of State of Illinois FY 2010 Budget Cuts on Families receiving

services from Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities
On June 12, 2009 Ray Graham Association was notified that funds for the following RGA
programs are completely eliminated beginning July 1, 2009. The following programs no longer
exist at Ray Graham Association beginning July 1, 2009

• Respite and DuPage Work Group –586 families no longer receive financial assistance for the provision
of care for children and adults with disabilities. Respite allows families to remain employed and stay
together. Without this support, family members may need to resign from their employment to provide care
for their child with a disability.

• Group Respite – this respite program was offered at three RGA Community Learning Centers for adults
with disabilities to remain at the Community Learning Center and participate in recreational and learning
activities. 18 families can no longer utilize the program. This respite program allowed families to remain
employed by extending care until the end of the work day.

• Bednorz Residential Respite – the Bednorz Respite home is closed and no longer offers residential
care to 98 families for their children with disabilities. Without this program, families will not have a safe
place with trained staff to leave their child with a disability when there is an emergency need.

• Regular Work – this funding source provided 41 adults with disabilities that live in the community the
opportunity to attend RGA Community Learning Centers for day programming. For many of these
families this was the only program available to their child. Now families must find affordable care in order
to maintain employment and their family member with a disability may have to stay at home with little
access to their community.

• DHS-funded Supported Employment – this program assisted 35 individuals with disabilities to find
employment and provided job coaching and other assistance to promote their successful employment.
Without a job coach, many of these individuals will lose their jobs.

• Supported Living Arrangements (SLA) – Ray Graham staff intermittently assisted 24 adults with
disabilities in their apartments to improve daily living skills as well as focus on problem solving and access
to community resources. Without funding, there will be no staff support for the individuals that live there.
Without staff support it is doubtful that these people with disabilities will be able to continue living
independently in the community. Many will have nowhere to live.

• With these cuts, currently 900 people with disabilities that participate in Ray Graham Association
programs are no longer receiving services. These program cuts not only affect the individuals
participating in the programs but also their families, Ray Graham Association staff, and the community at
large.

• Ray Graham Association has frozen 28 staff positions that were open prior to the cuts. We have offered
10 of these positions to employees that were working in the programs that were cut.

In addition, RGA received a letter from the State of Illinois, reducing our “Extended Services” contract by 50%
from $91,336 to $45,668 for fiscal year 2010. With this cut in funding, 57 adults with disabilities no longer
receive job coaching and employment support. Without this assistance, many will not have the support they need
to find employment and many will lose their jobs.
 Ray Graham
Association
2801 Finley Road
Downers Grove, IL
60515
(630) 620-2222
www.raygraham.or