The Arc of Washington State responds to Kennedy’s comments about family caregivers

“The recent statements by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz are a gross misrepresentation of the essential support provided by family caregivers in our country. In Washington state, seventy-eight percent of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) live with and receive care from a parent or a relative. The systems we have to provide the most basic services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are barely sufficient to meet family’s needs. For the parents and family members who provide life-giving care to their loved ones with IDD, financial compensation through Medicaid is often the only reliable option for caregiving.

The value of family caregivers is immeasurable. Kennedy’s claims of widespread fraud by family members are unsupported at best and harmful at worst.

Despite the harmful national rhetoric, Washington state has rightly prioritized investments in community-based services as we continue our decades-long transition away from isolating and outdated institutional care. The Arc of Washington State stands with family caregivers and we urge the federal government to refrain from misrepresenting the invaluable care they provide every day.”

For questions, please contact our team at media@arcwa.org.