In early November, several supporters came to Little Friends to join us at our 1965 Society dinner. Created with the intent of saying “thank you” for past support, it also provides us with an opportunity to let people know what we are doing with their generous contributions.
In years past I often spoke about the new initiatives and programming we were implementing because of donor support. While we have a lot of new things to share, it struck me that sharing the reasons as to why our services were so necessary was important as well. As such, I thought I’d take a moment to share some statistics that explain the growth in demand for everything we do.
As for people with disabilities in the United States, the CDC estimates that more than 1 in 4 adults have a disability, estimated at 44.1 million people. It is also estimated that today 1 in 6 children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with a developmental disability.
The impact on families can be significant. Data shows that families with a disabled child are paying 6-times on healthcare costs compared to parents of non-disabled children. Not only does this create stress and financial strain, but access to resources is also challenging. Only 20% of children with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders receive specialized care. Seeing this statistic makes me realize how lucky we are in this community to have access to such high-quality care.
Yet, there is more worth considering…
Autism diagnoses over 23 years have gone from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 36 children. In the State of Illinois over the past three years, the number of children in the school system with an Autism diagnosis has grown from 30,130 children, to 36,980 this past school year. This is a 22.7% increase in just three years!
Trends related to children needing Special Education in Illinois in 2024 are at 305,000 children. Over the past year alone, the increase is 11,000 children. Interesting to note, most of the growth has come from children ages 3-5 and 6-8 years old. Children being placed in private therapeutic day schools like Krejci Academy and the Mansion High School total 9,031 students in the State. This represents a 14% increase compared to 2022. What becomes even more eye opening is the number of children who end up going to out-of-state resources because there are not enough classrooms for children who need help.
Maybe the last statistic related to residential properties is the one that can cause someone to pause. There are approximately 5,800 individuals who live in Community Integrated Living Arrangements in the State.
For us, they are adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities who need our support to live a fulfilling life, and we hope for quality of life. Outside these homes, there are another 50,000 adults over the age of 60 who live at their home and are cared for by home services and parents or guardians. What is going to happen if these individuals need residential services because parents or guardians are no longer there to help them? Where will they go? Just a small percentage of demand will negatively impact on the services that are available today.
While eye-opening to say the least, it explains why the work that we and others like is so important. What we and others do matters, and the demand tells the story as to why.
Happy holidays and all the best to you and your families this holiday season!