Quinn announces state layoffs, closures
Advocates: Closures must be handled with care
CHICAGO (AP) — Advocates say the proposed closure of five Illinois facilities for mentally ill and developmentally disabled adults must be handled with care.
Gov. Pat Quinn included the facilities in a list Thursday targeted for closure to help with the state's budget deficit.
Tony Paulauski heads the Arc of Illinois; an advocacy group for people with developmental disabilities.
He says several hundred disabled adults live at the Jacksonville Developmental Center and the Jack Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon. Both centers are on Quinn's list.
Paulauski says families of residents will be worried about their loved ones' future. He says a rush to move residents without money for supportive housing would be a mistake. But he says other states have moved away from institutional care and Illinois needs to do so, too.
By AP | September 08, 2011
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