Reader concerned about budget cuts

I am a certified teacher for the state of Washington. I love what I do! I love it so much that I am staying employed as a teacher despite a challenge we have in our family. We have been blessed with a Down Syndrome son, Tyler, who has special needs and care. What our family has been able to do because of the home care policies has helped us keep Tyler at home for a half day while I work part-time as an instructor. I am his parent provider. So far I have been very grateful to the state and to the funds that are available to me and my family.

However, last week the home care workers were alerted to the possibility of the state cutting the home care, boarding and group home, assisted living, adult family homes, adult day health, nursing homes and other assistant programs for our weak and vulnerable citizens! What is our society coming to? Who in leadership would even consider this to be one of the places to withhold thousands of disabled clients their incomes and livelihoods? 18,000 people will be affected by this insanity and selfishness. How many grandpas and grandmas are able to hang on to their homes for a few more years because they have a care giver checking in on them to make sure they have taken their meds and the burners are off on the stove?

And as for those employed by this viable employment, are the legislators willing to let these wage-earners join the ranks of the unemployed? Don’t we have enough Washington state citizens marching to the drum beat of the unemployed? Wouldn’t we rather pay wages instead of increasing pay-outs to unemployment benefits? Keeping these wage-earners employed and the disabled cared for!