Washington budget cuts shouldn’t target people with disabilities | Opinion

When we start talking about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we must first remember that we are also talking about families. In Washington state, 80% of people with developmental disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy or Down syndrome live with or are cared for by a family member.

As a state, we have committed to investing in home- and community-based services for people with developmental disabilities so they can live meaningful lives in the community alongside their families.

Unfortunately, the Legislature is considering multiple cuts to essential community services for adults and children with developmental disabilities. First, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s budget proposed a change to long-term care eligibility for community services funded by Medicaid that would ultimately cut $80 million in support and remove up to 2,500 people with developmental disabilities from the current caseload. An amendment to House Bill 2688 would reduce the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers program by $30 million. This 17% cut (what it was funded at 18 years ago) would severely diminish the accessibility of early support for tens of thousands of families with children with disabilities during critical developmental years.

The assumption behind these cuts is that families will absorb the loss of care and save the state money, but it is at best a false promise and at worst a recipe for disaster. As bipartisan colleagues in the House of Representatives representing urban and rural parts of our state, we urge the legislature to preserve community services funding and reject cuts for people with disabilities in this year’s supplemental budget.

The logic of budget cuts is that the state will simply serve fewer people and spend less money, but the needs of people with developmental disabilities do not go away when their services disappear. Instead, cuts to stabilizing services will exacerbate existing needs and shift costs to our taxpayer-funded crisis systems, such as emergency rooms and isolating, expensive institutional care. Families and individuals would be forced to wait until situations deteriorate before help is available.

Research is consistently clear that investments in community services produce the best results for the people they support – including quality of life and community participation – and cost the least for the state.

The governor’s proposed eligibility change would eliminate services for those who receive very little state support, even though that support is critical. For someone whose only service is a supported employment opportunity with a job coach at their local grocery store, the loss of their coach would also mean the loss of their job and the accompanying income, not to mention the community participation and stable routine. The loss of services places individuals at greater risk of institutionalization or system involvement that could have easily been avoided. It is inhumane to pretend like this is optional when, in reality, it is a lifeline.

Additionally, community services are primarily funded through Medicaid and receive significant federal matching funds. By reducing eligibility, especially when Medicaid funding is uncertain, we are unnecessarily forfeiting dollars and increasing pressure on our state general fund.

The cuts to research-proven early childhood interventions in HB 2688 will undoubtedly guarantee higher costs and worse outcomes for years to come. For a significant portion of children with developmental delays, these early investments will mean they no longer require special education services or lifelong support. These services are life-changing.

As it stands, our state already lacks sufficient care for the vast majority of people with developmental disabilities who qualify for services. Families are the true backbone of all care provided. Families rearrange work schedules so someone can stay home, lose sleep so their loved one can feel safe, and navigate complicated systems while trying to plan for a future they can’t predict.

Supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families is not just the compassionate thing to do; it’s the responsible thing to do. As we gather to debate how we’re going to balance our state’s budget, the legislature must protect the network of community-based services we’ve worked so hard to build for adults and children with developmental disabilities and reject any cuts to the preventative supports we already know are working.

Rep. Jamila Taylor, D-Federal Way, represents the 30th District. Rep. Stephanie Barnard, R-Pasco, represents the 8th District.

This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Washington budget cuts shouldn’t target people with disabilities | Opinion."