(Springfield, IL) – Adding to an already announced avalanche of human service budget cuts by Governor
Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich’s Administration, Illinois mental health treatment providers are bracing for additional expected cuts that will wipe out specialized care for some 1,700 abused and neglected children.
“By our budget estimates, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services will soon eliminate specialized care for nearly 1,700 abused and neglected state wards,” said Frank Anselmo, CEO of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois.
On August 1, DCFS announced that in addition to the DCFS line item veto reductions of $44,783,270 made by Governor Blagojevich an additional $25,947,970 would be withheld from child welfare agencies for a total budget reduction of $70,731,240.
“To meet their budget target, DCFS must cut heavily—at least 40%—from its specialized ‘Systems of Care’ budget which caters to children in foster care experiencing the fallout of trauma from their abuse or neglect,” said Anselmo.
Cuts to this specialized care could total $ 9 to 12 million, Anselmo estimates.
The DCFS budget cuts are heaped upon mental health and mental health-relied upon human services reductions imposed by Governor Blagojevich, totaling approximately $145 million:
- $70 million—Department of Children and Family Services
- $55 million—Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
- $20 million—Division of Mental Health Services
“None of these services for children and families work in isolation from each other,” said Anselmo. “Vulnerable families often need mental health, substance abuse and foster care services—they are in many cases getting hit with triple whammies by the Governor’s cuts.”
Anselmo estimates nearly 53,000 people will be losing some form of mental health, substance abuse or foster care across Illinois.
“There is no vulnerable Illinois family reliant upon state care that will go unscathed,” said Anselmo. “It’s hard to get my mind around the loss of so much care to so many fragile families. It’s unprecedented.”
Anselmo noted that state government still has an option.
“The Governor and the legislative leaders still have the option to fix the budget problem and restore the money through a supplemental budget appropriation in the next few weeks,” said Anselmo. “However, waiting until November will be too late for many of our children, mothers, dads, and residents of our communities.”
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