Keith came into the state system 30 years ago when things weren't homelike as they are today. Many people worked very hard to bring the standards of our Developmental Centers to a level that gained them certification and has continued to keep them certified, safe and eventually as homey as we wanted them. We are most painfully aware of the HCFA report on the community programs in the state of Ohio. The community system which consists of 88 separate ways of doing business. That is because we have constant oversight of every facet of our center's operations.
Nothing is left unchecked.
So, as parents, we feel very comforted that our totally dependent son is not just a 'someone' in a 4-bed residence that is supposed to be called 'normalized' but is cared for and monitored by our state and federal systems which are responsible to the citizens of our state. He is not left to the care of an untrained, minimum wage person who might just be a felon. Minimum wage is fine for hamburgers but it is not good enough for the citizens of this state who have had the misfortune to have been born with some brain damage which requires them needing a high level of care. Some of the residents in our centers formerly lived in 'the community' and almost died during the experience. The Developmental Centers have not had any increases in funding in the past 4 bienniums and yet our superintendents have worked and struggled against great odds to continue to provide excellent care.