New York Times Article of Interest on Challenges Faced by Public Servants

On Sunday, April 22, 2018, the New York Times published an article detailing the challenges faced by public servants, including mentions of challenges faced by Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) supporting people with IDD, and difficulties for advocates for IDD issues. Access the full article here, and see below for relevant excerpts which ANCOR staff have selected for your reference.

“Many government workers take a second job to make ends meet. Eldon Johnson, 40, who cares for children with cerebral palsy and autism at a group home in Norman, works from 2:45 to 10:45 p.m., earning $12.50 an hour, less than some clerks at 7-Eleven. He then drives directly to his better-paying second job at a private mental health center, where he works until 8 a.m.

There’s no way I could make it without a second job, unless I lived in a box, and maybe had a moped,” said Mr. Johnson, who has worked for the state for 10 years.

[…]

Advocates for disadvantaged groups like foster children or the disabled have trouble rallying broad support for budget and tax increases, but public school teachers have been able to recruit additional allies among families with school-age children.”

ANCOR has been a leader on workforce issues, issuing a report on recruitment and retention challenges for DSPs in 2017 and actively seeking support from Congress on workforce-related topics. Additionally, the workforce crisis was a key topic of our recent Annual Conference, where we dedicated multiple sessions to the issue. If you wish to learn more about our efforts to address the workforce crisis and participate in our advocacy, please contact Doris Parfaite-Claude, Federal Advocacy and Research Manager, at [email protected].