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The Coalition for Quality and Choice represents a  broad-based effort by families, advocates, human service
agencies, religious and interested community organizations
committed to supporting one another and people with
mental retardation.
People with mental
retardation have endured a history of fiscal neglect
and only new appropriations of historic proportions
will right these wrongs.
Kentucky is 48th
in per capita spending for children and adults with
mental retardation. Until we as advocates, families,
and community members understand the implication of
that startling fact, we will continue to read about
the closing of facilities, cutbacks in services, and
the outrage and fear of affected families and individuals.
We have been
forced to fight over a pittance -- we fight one another
over a piece of the pie that continues to shrink as
needs continue to grow. The "Divide and Conquer"
strategy and "robbing Peter to pay Paul" will
no longer be tolerated.
The Coalition
is a positive, exciting, and proactive statement of
support for ALL people with mental retardation.
Let us celebrate
our collective strength, flex our political muscle,
and allow a just cause to be expressed by our love and
concern for people with mental retardation.
The
Coalition for Quality and Choice commits to the following
principles:
- We support
the right of individuals with mental retardation and
their families to determine the most appropriate residential
program.
- It is our
steadfast position that funds should not be taken
from one group of persons with mental retardation
to support another group. The redistribution of inadequate
resources and uprooting people from their home without
their consent is not acceptable.
- We affirm
the need to dramatically increase the level of financial
support for quality community programs and services
throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky ($30 million
in new state general funds).
- As we affirm
the need to invest in community programs, we believe
the Commonwealth should maintain its fiscal commitment
to residential facilities (ICF/MR). A broad range
of high quality options should be made available to
individuals with mental retardation and their families.
For more information,
please call: (502) 584-1239
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