IARF Backs Choate Transition, Calls for Continued Investment in Community-Based Disability Services

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF) is applauding the Pritzker administration's decision to complete the transition of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from Choate Developmental Center, calling the move another important step toward expanding safe, person-centered care in community settings across Illinois.

In a statement released Friday, IARF President and CEO Josh Evans praised Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce Quintero for advancing what the organization described as a commitment to civil rights, community integration and quality care for Illinoisans with disabilities.

"The leadership shown by Governor Pritzker and DHS Secretary Quintero in closing the remaining I/DD beds at Choate Developmental Center stands in stark contrast to the message being sent from Washington, D.C.," Evans said. "In Illinois, we will advance equity, the civil rights of persons with developmental disabilities, and the opportunity for Illinoisans with disabilities to reside in communities of their choice."

The announcement follows the administration's latest plans to transition the remaining residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities from Choate, a facility that has faced years of scrutiny following widely publicized allegations of abuse and neglect.

Evans said those reports made decisive action necessary and expressed IARF's support for the administration's continued efforts to move residents into settings that best meet their individual needs.

"The heartbreaking abuse allegations at Choate demanded decisive action," Evans said. "Every decision must remain centered on safety, dignity and ensuring people receive the right care in the most appropriate environment."

While supporting the transition, IARF emphasized that its success will depend on continued investment in Illinois' network of community-based providers that serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Evans credited Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly for making sustained investments in community services in recent years, saying those efforts have strengthened the state's ability to provide supports closer to home and in the least restrictive settings possible.

At the same time, Evans cautioned that important challenges remain. He pointed to the needs of young people transitioning into adult services, as well as the potential impact of recent federal Medicaid funding reductions under H.R. 1.

Despite those concerns, IARF said Illinois has demonstrated that lasting progress is possible when state government, providers, advocates and families work together.

The organization pledged to continue working alongside the Pritzker administration and lawmakers to strengthen Illinois' disability services system and ensure every person with intellectual and developmental disabilities has access to safe, high-quality, person-centered care in the community.