Save Our Choice: Protect Self-Directed Supports in Missouri

Hello, my sister is severely autistic and will always live in our father’s home. The funds under consideration for reduction are essential to meeting her daily needs and providing the additional support and opportunities required for her well-being. Reducing these funds would have a substantial and lasting negative impact on her quality of life and ability to receive adequate care.

Please do not cut these vital services for people with disabilities!

As a single mother of 4, 3 being on the spectrum. Its important that families like mine do not lose this. I benefit great from this with two of my children. I wouldn't be able to do the things I needed for everyday life. Including being able to be there for each of my children when they need me the most.

This change will hurt the very people these original policies were meant to serve. Please listen to those who will be affected most and change course.

These are real families and children impacted. Do not cut funding to these programs.

I’m speaking directly to the people making this decision. I’ve been doing at-home care for about 10 years, on and off, including caring for my own brothers. This isn’t abstract to me. This is my family. This is my work. This is my life — and I live in this country just like you do. You see the same things we see. You know how expensive it is to exist right now. Groceries. Rent. Healthcare. Everything costs more, and wages already haven’t kept up. Even with current pay, people are barely holding on. So when you propose a regulation that cuts individual healthcare pay almost in half, it doesn’t feel like a mistake. It feels intentional. As has already been said, “THIS REGULATION IS CUTTING THE VERY ASSISTANCE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING.” You may see numbers on a page. We see what’s happening around us — families drowning, caregivers burning out, vulnerable people losing stability. Cutting these benefits doesn’t just “tighten budgets.” It forces people like me to choose between continuing care and surviving. It pushes us closer to losing our homes, our families, and the ability to stay in the work we’ve dedicated years of our lives to. This is happening at a time when people are already exhausted, already struggling, already watching the news and feeling like those in power don’t care. If the government is meant to stand with its people, this does the opposite. I don’t know how else to say this except plainly: this is not okay. And the damage from it won’t be theoretical — it will be immediate and real.

We use sds for our 25 year old daughter, without it we would have to find a place for her to go while I work.

Please stand up for the most vulnerable citizens.

We care about Pati Sigman , her disabled daughter and families like hers.

Please stop House Bill HB10.

I take care my sister and it works for her not a bunch of different people in and out of her life

My daughter is 15 and has Down syndrome. She has additional needs that require extra support. Cutting funding, or making any adjustment to the current process will significantly impact her ability to participate in the same activities of her peers and diminish her quality of life.

I show my support

As mother and guardian to an adult daughter receiving self directed supports, Thea budget cuts will be devastating to her daily life and progress made since starting.

The first priority that we focus on keeping our loved ones at home with us. Self-directed is way cheaper than placing our special needs loved ones with an agency. You are given a budget and you have fees to deduct and choose a pay rate for your employees that will let you stretch your budget. An hourly rate of $33.00 is still lacking. We need to do better for our loved ones and caregivers.

SDS services are a very important part of our special people's lives. My daughter had Down Syndrome and I was her SDS staff for 8 1/2 years. She passed away in August of 2024. She would not have lived that long had I not been her SDS staff. Please think about the impact the budget cuts would do to the clients and their families....

My brother in law receives these services. We need these for him and others that need help to live a more fulfilling life.

I believe these funds are well spent on aiding the challenged and there families

We have a severely disabled son that will need care his whole life. We are older parents and know we can’t keep up when he is an adult. We have started transitioning into adult hood phase and I can tell you after 16 years of experience we can’t do life without help!

Please