California Parents and Providers - Urge Lawmakers to Pass Budget

Over the past few days, the CA senate has been trying to vote on the CA budget. While there is language in the budget that would minimize the cuts to our funding sources such as the Regional Centers, unfortunately, there seems to be a stall on the vote and the Senate is falling short by just one vote.

We have been advised that the situation will become very detrimental if this budget is not signed. Therefore, we have been asked to initiate a letter writing campaign to the Republican senators

This has to happen today as the Senate is meeting and decisions are to be made as soon as possible. I have attached a sample letter for providers and a sample letter for families to use. Of course, you may write your own letter as well but in the interest of time, at the minimum, it would be very effective if the offices of these senators receive hundreds of letters today. You can sign the letter you choose, and fax it to the numbers below…You can also ask your families to call the senators’ offices and plead for an agreeable vote on the budget.

Please pay attention to this notice and send it to everyone you know in the field of Autism. This is very important and we must to whatever we can to pass the budget as is.

Thank you for your help!

SAMPLE LETTER FROM PARENTS:
Please Copy and Paste

Date

Find your legislator: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Legislator Name

Title

Address

City, State Zip

Dear,

I am writing on behalf of my child, NAME, to urge you to come together with your colleagues to resolve the ongoing budget crisis that is threatening to shut down the Regional Centers that provide urgent care to children like mine. My child receives behavioral services through Regional Center programs and without these services my child and many other children will suffer.

Continued access to top-quality behavioral intervention services has been scientifically proven to be crucial to the continued development of children with autism spectrum disorders. “Gaps” in services constitute a major threat to the continued well-being of these children. Some evidence indicates that children with autism spectrum disorders may not only fail to continue to develop when services are interrupted for weeks or months, but that they may actually regress developmentally, thereby putting an already vulnerable population at an even further disadvantage, as well as placing additional stress on the family system as a whole.

Consider, too, that the investment California makes in their children today, will help to curtail even greater costs which would be incurred long term if treatment is not provided. While an early intervention program may seem costly in the short term, the costs of NOT providing these services can be 10 times greater if no action is taken.

With behavioral services, such as those funded by Regional Centers across California, individuals with ASDs like my child achieve great successes. My child is proof of that. He/she has achieved great successes with behavioral services. Those of us who rely on Regional Center services for our children ask that you put the interests of California’s citizens first, and do what is needed to make sure our services are not revoked. Please continue funding these vital services so he/she can continue down this path.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

City, State Zip

Phone Number

SAMPLE LETTER FROM PROVIDERS:
Please Copy and Paste

Date

Find your legislator: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Legislator Name

Title

Address

City, State Zip

Dear,

I am writing to urge you to come together with your colleagues to resolve the ongoing budget crisis that is threatening to shut down the Regional Centers and the care providers who work with families and children affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Regional Center funding is the only hope for thousands of families who want nothing more than to see their children learn and thrive. I work with these families everyday and without these services these families will suffer.

Continued access to behavioral intervention services, like those provided through Regional Center programs, has been scientifically proven to be crucial to the continued development of children with autism spectrum disorders. “Gaps” in services constitute a major threat to the continued well-being of these children. Some evidence indicates that children with autism spectrum disorders may not only fail to continue to develop when services are interrupted for weeks or months, but that they may actually regress developmentally, thereby putting an already vulnerable population at an even further disadvantage, as well as placing additional stress on the family system as a whole.

Consider, too, that the investment California makes in their children today, will help to curtail even greater costs which would be incurred long term if treatment is not provided. While an early intervention program may seem costly in the short term, the costs of NOT providing these services can be 10 times greater if no action is taken.

With behavioral services, such as those funded by Regional Centers across California, individuals with ASDs like the ones I work with achieve great successes. My clients are proof. They have achieved great successes with behavioral services. Those of us who rely on continued Regional Center services and funding ask that you put the interests of California’s citizens first, and do what is needed to make sure these services are not revoked.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

City, State Zip

Phone Number

LAWMAKERS' FAX NUMBERS

CA State Senator Abel Maldonado

Fax number: (916) 445-8081

Senator Dave Cox

Fax number: (916) 324-2680

CA State Senator Sam Aanestad

Fax number: 916-445-7750

Ca State Senator Roy Ashburn

Fax number: 916-322-3304

CA State Senator John J. Benoit

Fax number: 916-327-2187

CA State Senator Jeff Denham

Fax number: 916-445-0773

CA State Senator Bob Dutton

Fax number: 916-327-2272

CA State Senator Tom Harman

Fax number: 916-445-9263

CA State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth

Fax number: 916-447-9008

CA State Senator Bob Huff

Fax number:916-324-0922

CA State Senator George Runner

Fax number:916-445-4662

CA State Senator Tony Strickland

Fax number:916-324-7544

CA State Senator Mimi Walters

Fax number:916-445-9754

CA State Senator Mark Wyland

Fax number: 916-446-7382

Senate President Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg

Fax number: 916-323-2263

Speaker of Assembly Karen Bass

Fax number: (916) 319-2147

Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill

Fax number: (916) 327-3523

Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines

Fax number: (916) 319-2129

Senator Mark Leno

Fax number: (916) 445-4722

Assembly Member Jerry Hill

Fax number: (916) 319-2119