SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS (February 18, 2026) — The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), representing community providers serving Illinoisans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and serious mental illnesses, has issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s proposed state budget:
“In the face of significant fiscal uncertainty, we thank Governor [JB] Pritzker for his ongoing support of the Direct Support Professional workforce, the needs of individuals who have chosen to leave public institutions to live in community settings, and the broader developmental disabilities service system. Stability matters for individuals receiving services, their families, and the staff who provide essential daily care. The Governor’s budget continues to reflect that commitment while highlighting areas where further strengthening of the system remains possible.
“Knowing providers across Illinois continue to face workforce shortages, increasing transportation expenses, and growing demand for community employment and therapeutic supports, we must measure this proposal against what we know is needed to adequately fund the current service array — outlined by Representative Laura Faver Dias in HB 4969 and Senator Dave Koehler in SB 3427 — legislation that would fully fund the Guidehouse rate study.
“We need to further understand the proposed reductions in spending on some key grants that support very specific developmental disabilities and behavioral health services and their potential implications for Illinois’ social safety net.
“We remain grateful for the strong partnership we have built with Governor Pritzker, the Department of Human Services, and the General Assembly in recent years. That collaboration has produced measurable improvements in quality of care and system stability, and we look forward to continuing that work.
“As budget discussions move forward, we urge policymakers to view this proposal as a starting point to advance continued progress. Sustained investment in the workforce, community services, and implementation of long-planned system improvements will help ensure Illinois remains on a path toward a stronger, more sustainable disability and behavioral health-services system.”
