Stop the Proposed 60/40 Amendment for Families

Ann marieSiegert

I strongly oppose the proposed changes to Maryland DDA’s Community Pathways Waiver that would further limit the number of hours relatives may provide paid support services (including continuation or expansion of the 60/40 rule and prior 40-hour limitations). These restrictions undermine the fundamental principles of person-centered planning and self-direction by limiting an individual’s right to choose the caregivers who best understand and safely support their needs. For many participants with significant medical, behavioral, communication, and supervision requirements, family caregivers are not simply preferred providers—they are the safest, most consistent, and most qualified support option available. Maryland continues to experience a severe shortage of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), high turnover rates, and provider staffing instability. Families frequently report difficulty locating qualified staff willing or able to provide services, particularly for individuals with complex support needs. Restricting family caregivers without first resolving workforce shortages places participants at substantial risk of interrupted care, increased reportable incidents, hospitalizations, emergency placements, and potential institutionalization—outcomes that directly conflict with waiver goals promoting independence and community integration. Family caregivers often leave careers, reduce employment, or provide extensive unpaid care to prevent crises and maintain health and safety. Imposing arbitrary caps on compensated hours does not reduce participant need; rather, it shifts uncompensated labor onto families while jeopardizing continuity of care. Additionally, family members employed as DSPs are required to meet training, documentation, compliance, and service standards similar to non-relative staff. The quality of care should be evaluated based on participant outcomes, health and safety, and service effectiveness—not familial relationship alone. I urge M

My 35 year old son with Down Syndrome, who is speech impaired needs 24 hour care. He is best with family who know his needs and understands him. This amendment is wrong. I took him out of Traditional services in 2025 because he was regressing. The year we have been doing self directed he has come along way. He has several dietary issues due to stomach problems. We are his family and have his best interest first and foremost, Hired staff will not!

Cutting family as staff is detrimental to the wellbeing of our disabled loved ones. There is a shortage of qualified staff to pick up the hours.

This amendment would hurt the most vulnerable. My Grandaughter is nonverbal and has Downs Syndrome along with various health conditions. When she had care outside the house she would have sunburns and scratches, then we noticed her behavior changes such as biting and hitting herself, not wanting to leave the house. There is nothing worse than making your child do something they don't won't to do, and not being able to tell us what is wrong. Now that she has the support of her parents she has stopped those behaviors, and her smile has returned. Please don't hurt my most cherished person in the world. Please take a moment and put yourselves in their situations and say no to the 60/40 rule.

Taking away the times families are aloud to take care of their loved ones means taking away their safety and security. Please stop hurting our loved ones they did nothing to deserve these changes. They fight everyday to strive to be healthy, but they shouldn’t have to fight the bureaucracy in order to receive care from their own family. Please reconsider your vote to slash funding to our most vulnerable citizens.

Please complete a full investigation on each cases before you take this away from people who genuinely need this and are genuinely providing this care for their loved ones. Thank you

We need more money for assistance for families thay struggle for care assistance for their loved ones.

This policy could be detrimental to my child. We've already tried traditional programs and they did not work for us. My daughter has Celiacs and they, repetitively, allowed her food with gluten in it. They forgot to pick her up after work one evening and she sat outside, in the dark, in Frederick, waiting for her ride, for over an hour and a half, before we knew they did not pick her up. She spent many days riding around in a van. With 1:1 staff, her staff would take her to her house and put her in front of TV while the staff took care of household chores. Now she is out in the community 5 days a week or more, doing activities she enjoys with her peers. These are a just few reasons why traditional doesn't work With the pay cuts FAS is already going to have to take, reducing hours on top of that for FAS, will have major financial impacts on her family. These policies are leaving our most vulnerable people behind.

It not fair for this happy these client need all the help they can get

Please do not propose this bill for the vulnerability. Adults really need the assistance that they have in place now for their safety and long jeopardy and life

2 months ago Featured

I'm a direct support professional. Our team has four members, including the mom and sister. Cutting family back to 40 hours a week means that family will have to seek outside employment and there will be shifts that will not be covered, especially when someone outside the family is on vacation. This simply does not serve the needs of the participant.

As a special needs mom, this is so upsetting!!

Im the sister

These proposed cuts will negatively impact the lives of individuals with special needs that need continued support by family and DSP workers.

This is important to me but please don't send me anything further!! I will Just delete! TIA

For Abbie, Josh, and so many other friends and their families

I'm against this 60 to 40

I know 1st hand how bad programs have been on my loved ones.How many times a program dropped my loved one of to a mental ward for evaluation. Because they didn't understand stand how to care for my loved one. The programs staff left my child out in their car for hours in the heat with no one with him. How that programs staff let my child walk around by him self. A guy threatened my child with a knife to kill him. That staff member and program didn't care at all. She took him 4 hours away from home never told me where she was talking him or when he would be back. My child had another client with that program whip his poop all over my child and the programs staff tried to lie about it.

My daughter, 37, with Down Syndrome, requires a responsible adult in the house 24/7 for everything from help bathing, cooking, cleaning, laundry, playing games, scheduling appointments, taking to those appointments, shopping, etc and safety. She would have no idea what to do in an emergency. She would not leave the house if there were a fire. In other words, she is basically a 6 or 7 year old in an adult body. Please understand that we, as parents, are only trying to provide a good life for our children and to be paid a wage that is, overall, far less than would be required if we were to place our adult in a group home. There they would have at least one staff person in house 24/7. I can understand not paying MOST families for the hours of 12am to 6 am but otherwise we need to provide for them during all other hours. We only ask that we get adequate compensation for doing for them equal to, and usually, above what staff in residential housing provide.