The Holidays are Here!
By Director Barbara PalmerI hope you and your family enjoyed a fabulous Thanksgiving with all the trimmings of turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. I love this time of year, but cannot believe it is already here.
As we close out 2015, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is busy gearing up for the Legislative Session which begins in January. APD employees will be at the Capitol advocating for programs, funding, and services that benefit people with developmental disabilities. Governor Scott has announced his 2016-2017 proposed state budget which includes a funding increase for APD and $15 million for new waiver enrollment from the waiting list (see story below). We are grateful to Governor Scott for his ongoing support of the people we serve.
We continue to work closely with our customers, families, stakeholders, waiver support coordinators, providers, and others to meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities in Florida. This year included challenges we have worked through to benefit our customers including the dissolution of the Department of Education’s Adults with Disabilities program and the implementation of the Department of Labor Home Care rule to name just a few. However, there is also lots of good news that occurred in 2015 like offering the waiver to 2,499 people in November (see story below) and helping more than 100 people with gaining new jobs, retaining their current positions, or experiencing an internship. I love hearing about these positive outcomes.
As 2015 draws to a close, I thank everyone involved in serving Floridians with developmental disabilities. Your work truly makes a difference in their lives. We could not do it without you.
To you and yours, I wish you very Happy Holidays!
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