TAKE ACTION
Final FY2027 Budget Raises DSP Wages, Protects CILA Residential Services
June 1, 2026
The Illinois General Assembly passed the annual state budget early in the morning of June 1.
The final FY2027 budget includes:
A $.60/hour Direct Support Professional (DSP) wage increase,raising the state reimbursement for wages to $21.90/hour (146% of Illinois’ minimum wage)
The DSP wage increase will be implemented with a 50/50 pass-through. After two years with a 75/25 pass-through, the General Assembly is thankfully returning to the 50/50 compromise and allowing providers greater flexibility.
Transition to a “zero-hour” staffing model in Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILAs). State leaders heard our advocacy and will ensure this change will be implemented in a way that maintains service hours for 37U programs and other CILA supports during the day.
These are wins that will continue to stabilize the DSP workforce, protect access to services, and provide choice for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
This budget season was difficult. Legislators had to deal with a more than $2 billion deficit, as well as uncertainty about looming federal funding cuts, the economy and state revenues. Even in this environment, you helped keep legislators focused on people with disabilities as a budget priority. This is a year we avoided any “bad news” at the end of the legislative session.
Thank you to everyone who emailed, called or visited legislators. Your advocacy made a difference! Read on for more details.
DSP Wage Increase
The Governor proposed a $.60/hour DSP wage increase in February, and our advocacy helped protect it throughout the budget-making process.
Additionally, the IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities (IDHS-DDD) committed to proposing another $0.60/hour increase in next year’s FY2028 budget—which will finally achieve the Guidehouse Rate Study’s #1 recommendation: raising the state’s DSP wage reimbursement to 150% of the minimum wage statewide. This is the first time state leaders have made this kind of commitment in advance for DSP wages.
Reaching this milestone would be cause for celebration, but we know our work is not over. We’ll need to make sure state funding for DSP wages and IDD services will keep pace with the growing need and staffing demand well into the future. Without continued advocacy, it will be easy to fall behind again.
Zero-Hour Staffing Model
The state will transition to a zero-hour model to fund DSP staffing in CILAs in January 2027. This essentially means the state will fund CILA staffing 24 hours per day, 7 days per week—while maintaining DSP service hours in the community residential system. Adopting zero-hour was another recommendation in the Guidehouse Rate Study.
They Deserve More supported this transition, however, the details matter in a major change like this. For example, there was some concern that transitioning to a zero-hour model could affect funding for at-home day programs in CILAs and other supports during the day.
Throughout the spring, TDM members advocated to legislators and IDHS-DDD to ensure zero-hour implementation would meet the needs of people served and maintain a stable workforce. Both in public hearings and behind the scenes, legislators pressed IDHS-DDD leaders and asked the right questions.
We’re grateful to the General Assembly and the Governor’s Administration for hearing our voices and working to protect services people with IDD rely on every day. It’s easy for technical issues like this to get lost in the weeds, but your advocacy made people with IDD a priority for state leaders’ attention once again.
Thank You!
Your actions this spring made a difference we can see in these final budget decisions. We look forward to working together as a community in future legislative sessions. There’s much more to do to provide an IDD support system in Illinois where everyone has the opportunity to live full, independent lives in the community.
Sincerely,
The They Deserve More Coalition