Statement Regarding Governor Stein’s Proposed Budget
On Tuesday, March 19th, Governor Josh Stein released his proposed 2025 state budget. The Arc of North Carolina was pleased to see several funding recommendations that would improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Those recommendations include the following:
- $5 million in non-recurring funds for education efforts to recruit, train, and support Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). This funding would also allow for scholarships and paid apprenticeships to help reinforce the DSP workforce.
- Funding the Medicaid program to continue current levels of service.
- Over $37 million for 200 additional Innovations Waiver slots and 75 additional Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver slots (funding increase would occur over a two-year period).
- Funding necessary to sustain the Healthy Opportunities initiative, expand to additional western NC counties where the program is not currently operational, and plan for statewide expansion.
- $5.7 million to stabilize the vocational rehabilitation workforce and help reduce vacancy rates for counselors and other direct-service professionals and to sustain community provider rates. This recommended investment will enable the state to pull down an additional $21 million in federal vocational rehabilitation funding.
Our team continues to work tirelessly advocating for Medicaid benefits and programs to stay intact as well as dedicated funding to bolster the pipeline for DSPs. We are grateful to Governor Stein for prioritizing these needs, along with funding for vocational rehabilitation and Healthy Opportunities that will help individuals with I/DD live independently.
We were disappointed to see funding allocated for only 200 Innovations Waiver slots and 75 Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver slots. As of December 2024, there are 18,771 people on the North Carolina Innovations Waiver waitlist. Individuals with I/DD have to wait 10-12 years before getting a waiver which is unacceptable.
We value the critical work of our direct care workforce and wish this budget included increases for that work, as well as the work of their supervisors.
The Arc of North Carolina looks forward to working with Governor Stein and his team to discuss the importance of appropriate levels of funding for programs that help individuals with I/DD and their families.