Starling 2024 Legislative Priorities

Strengthen IDD Community Network

Ensure people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) receive essential services to live and work in their communities by appropriating sufficient funding that allows IDD providers to pay a competitive wage of $21/hour to direct care employees.

• Wages paid to employees across Missouri have exceeded wages paid to direct care employees that support people with IDD. This fact causes direct care applicants to realize they can make higher wages in positions with less responsibilities and therefore, do not end up accepting our job offer. 

• Over seven hundred people with IDD are approved to receive services but are forced to wait because providers cannot expand under the current reimbursement rates appropriated within the state budget (Section 10.410). Families struggle while waiting for services and at times must quit their jobs. 

• IDD providers cannot offset increased costs of recruiting and retaining employees like private businesses by raising prices or fees charged to the customer. 

Expand Missouri’s Workforce

Strengthen employment services for individuals with disabilities to join Missouri’s workforce by supporting Employment First initiatives and funding community employment services within the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) & Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD). 

Maintain Missouri’s Tax Structure

Changes to Missouri’s property tax structure will negatively impact services for people with developmental disabilities. Local tax levies must remain intact as they play a vital role in funding community services for people with disabilities to live and work.