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As it looks now, those who want to call
LDC home will be able to do so on a newly renovated campus. Gov.
Blagojevich has announced that he has allotted $10 million dollars
in the state budget for fiscal year 2004, which begins July 1. Plans
are that half the money will go to renovate the campus and the other
half for services to care for residents. It is intended at this time
to open 50 beds for residents and bring more than 100 jobs back.
Rep. Lee Daniels called an informative
meeting before the members of the Illinois Mental Health and
Disabilities Committee in Springfield on Wednesday, May 7. The goal
of the hearing was to assess the history of LDC and look to its
future use. LDC supporters notified each other when a posting was
seen two days earlier. Despite the short notice, people changed
their plans and came to the meeting.
New staff and directors of the
Department of Human Services, including Carol Adams; state Reps.
Rich Brauer and Bill Mitchell and Sen. Larry Bomke, supporters of
LDC; members of the former LDC parents group; and AFSCME members
also attended the meeting.
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Representatives of the Illinois Council
on the Developmentally Disabled who oppose the large, state-run
facilities were also present. The group advocates
community-integrated group homes for the developmentally
handicapped.
Government leaders, advocates for those
with disabilities, families of the disabled and concerned others
will work with the Department of Human Services to figure out what
the new LDC will be.
There is little question about the need
or desire to reopen the facility. It will not be a problem getting
residents to place there. Many parents of past residents have been
to the meetings and said that they would like to have their children
back there. The location is one of many factors that former LDC
parents have said makes it a good place for their children to be
located. It makes it easier parents to visit their children. As Rita
Burke, one member of a parent group, said: If you open it, they will
come.
LDN will
bring you more on when, how and what will happen on the LDC campus
as details become available.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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