* Tribune…

The Bellaires say their situation is evidence of a statewide shortage of caregivers known as direct support professionals who feed, bathe and perform other essential tasks for people with disabilities. After Gov. Bruce Rauner last year vetoed a bill aimed at increasing the minimum wage for these workers — who on average make $9.35 an hour — their turnover rate has grown from 40 percent in 2016 to nearly 56 percent in the first three quarters of this fiscal year at the state’s six largest agencies, according to Kim Zoeller, president and CEO of the Ray Graham Association, an agency that serves 2,000 children and adults with disabilities in DuPage County. […]

Lawmakers in Springfield are now considering legislation that would raise the overall amount the state pays group home businesses so that caregivers are paid at least $15 an hour. The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that representatives in the House will consider. With weeks left before the end of the legislative session, and lawmakers still at an impasse over the budget, advocates for people with disabilities say the worker crisis has gone from dire to potentially dangerous. […]

Running out of options to address the shortage of direct support professionals, a legal rights group for people with disabilities last month filed a motion in federal court hoping to convince a judge that current conditions are in violation of a 2011 ruling known as the Ligas consent decree. The decree ensures that, regardless of the state budget situation, funding continues for people with disabilities who want to live in community-based settings, and with the support needed, said Barry Taylor, vice president for civil rights for Equip for Equality, a legal services firm for people with disabilities.

If the federal court motion doesn’t work, advocates say they’re not sure what else to do. [Emphasis added.]

* From the group Avenues to Independence…

Today, Illinois ranks 47th nationally in its per capita fiscal spending on community developmental disability services. Combined with the current budget impasse, wages and benefits are far below the levels needed to attract and retain qualified individuals. Annual turnover of direct care staff can exceed 50% and many organizations have vacancies of 20% and higher.

* But it’s a broader problem than that. Press release…

Child welfare advocates from across Illinois swarmed the capitol on Thursday and warned lawmakers that a workforce crisis has engulfed private sector child welfare agencies that provide care to 85% of the 14,700 youth in care with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

“The private sector child welfare workforce in Illinois, which totals nearly 6,000 employees, is convulsed by an annual staff turnover rate of a staggering 40%,” said Child Care Association of Illinois C.E.O. Margaret Berglind. “If the Chicago Cubs had turned over 40% of its players annually, they would not have been the 2016 champions. Period. The same goes for child welfare.”

Dozens of Illinois child welfare agencies sent their CEOs and top staff to Springfield on Thursday to lobby lawmakers to support legislation, House Bill 2594, sponsored by State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), that aims to boost private sector financing by $100 million annually to reverse the workforce crisis. The legislation would increase the rates paid to child welfare providers and boost expense reimbursement rates paid to foster parents.

Berglind said that Illinois foster parents are being victimized by “obsolete, paltry” expense reimbursement rates.

“The state’s reimbursement of foster parents for their expenses is so obsolete, so paltry that the average Illinois foster parent shells out of their pocket, on average, $359 per month,” said Berglind. “The state is using foster parents as ATMs. Foster parents. Think about that.”

Berglind also said that DCFS’ current strategy of “nibbling away at problems” is failing to address the department’s biggest challenge.

“We applaud DCFS for its multiple, micro initiatives and pilot projects, but nibbling away at problems whiling ignoring the biggest systemic challenge facing the agency, the 40% annual staff turnover of private sector agencies, is no longer sustainable,” said Berglind. “By substantially investing in the rescue of the workforce, this legislation will move children to permanent homes more quickly, including reunification with birth parents.”

The child welfare workforce challenge faced at the Lutheran Child and Family Services-operated Lutherbrook Child and Adolescent Center, a highly-specialized residential treatment center for youth ages 6-18, located in Addison, illustrates the workforce problem across Illinois.

“During the five-months from October 2016 through February 2017, Lutherbrook extended thirty-seven direct care staff job offers and twenty-three or 62% declined based on the starting salary,” said Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois C.E.O. Mike Bertrand.

Bertrand noted that Lutherbrook recently had 16-beds open for intake, but the center was forced to decline referrals from DCFS until the agency could fill 17-direct care staff positions.

“That is about half our workforce since we are fully-staffed at 36,” said Bertrand. “This paralysis leaves those youth to sit in psychiatric hospitals, detention centers or shelters or unable to receive the treatment services they need until an alternative placement can be found.”

A joint rate study conducted by DCFS and the Child Welfare Advisory Council, comprised of private sector agencies, serves as the foundation of Feigenholtz’s bill and reveals the workforce compensation problems faced by agencies.

“The study showed that residential treatment agencies should be paying front-line residential treatment workers at least $16.00 per hour, but struggle to pay them $12.00,” said Berglind. “Foster care agencies should be paying caseworker $18.71 per hour but they hardly reach $16.50. The problem is obvious.”