RELEASE: November 30, 2005

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TRENTON – Faced with a drop in families who provide care in their homes for people with development developmental disabilities, Department of Human Services (DHS) Commissioner James M. Davy today honored eight of those families and announced plans to recruit more.

These families, known as Skill Development Sponsors, provide room, board, meals and other basic care services in their homes for people with developmental disabilities. Sponsors, who are paid by the state for providing the services, must also keep medication records and maintain contact with case managers. All sponsors receive training and must be licensed by the Department of Human Services.

“Our skill development homes are one of the pillars of our community services system,” said Davy. “Skill sponsors bring a person with disabilities into their home and provide them with care and services in a loving family atmosphere. They are truly doing important work. It is appropriate that we honor them today as part of National Family Caregiver Month.”

The department's Division of Developmental Disabilities provides institutional, community and home-based services to about 35,000 people with disabilities such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and autism. More than 90 percent receive services either in their own homes, or in community based residences, such as group homes, apartments or skill development homes.

Skill development sponsors are paid between $1,158 and $2,007 a month per client, depending on the client's needs of the client. In addition to providing room and board, skill sponsors also provide recreation activities and help coordinate other services to the client.

Over the last five years the number of Skill Development Sponsors has dropped from 899 serving 1,779 people in 2000 to 730 serving 1,432 people today.

“We're very concerned and we will make a concerted effort to increase that number,” said Davy.

The Skill Development Sponsor families honored were:

•  Barbara Flanders, of Belvidere Warren County

•  Janet Martin-Barr, of Kearny , Hudson County

•  Willa Chavis, of Springfield , Union County

•  Emma Christian, of Plainfield , Union County

•  Beverly and William Bouford, of Jackson , Ocean County

•  Denise Ewin Millville, of Cumberland County and

•  Brenda and Otis Peterson, of Sicklerville, Camden County

•  Brenda Cusack , of Trenton , Mercer County

For information on how to contact the families, call Gary Brown at 609-292-3703

For more information about how to become a skill sponsor contact:

DDD Northern Regional Office of Community Services

Catherine Walsh 973-927-2645

( Sussex , Warren , Morris, Bergen , Passaic and Hudson Counties )

DDD Upper Central Regional Office of Community Services

Lea Chilelli 973-324-2000

( Essex , Somerset and Union Counties )

DDD Lower Central Regional Office of Community Services

Jennifer Tomkow 609-292-3722

(Mercer, Middlesex, Ocean, Hunterdon and Monmouth Counties )

DDD Southern Regional Office of Community Services

Rosemary Hill 609-561-5070

(Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland , Gloucester and Salem Counties )

Michelle Ruane 856-770-5900

( Burlington and Camden Counties )

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