Starling 2026 Legislative Guide

No Cuts to Services for Missourians with IDD.
HB2002: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
HB2010: Division of Developmental Disabilities

When services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are cut, the harm ripples across the state – damaging our economy, weakening social connections, and jeopardizing people’s health and safety.

Cuts endanger lives:
People with disabilities rely on community-based services every day; funding cuts weaken health outcomes and threaten safety and wellness.

Cuts endanger lives:
People with disabilities rely on community-based services every day; funding cuts weaken health outcomes and threaten safety and wellness.

Cuts cost more in the long run:
Shrinking or closing programs pushes people into crisis, driving up spending on emergency care, long hospital stays, and more intensive, costly services down the line.

Cuts drive away workers:
Flat wages and burnout causes experienced direct support professionals to leave their jobs, and community providers struggle to compete to hire new staff.

Cuts undermine independence and community:
Without reliable supports, people with disabilities lose opportunities to build life skills, foster relationships, gain independence, and fully participate in their communities.

Cuts hurt families and caregivers:
When people with disabilities cannot access necessary services, families are forced to fill the gaps – cutting work hours, leaving jobs, and absorbing longterm financial and emotional strains.