Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services recognizes the incredible and important work our provider community does for people with DD. We also know the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult, and the past year has strained staff, decreased revenues, and increased costs as providers continued to serve people safely.

For the people with developmental disabilities we all serve, it’s critical to maintain the vibrant and diverse array of support options that currently exist in Hamilton County. In recognition of their hard work and increased costs over the last year, Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services (HCDDS) recently issued sustainability grants to every active provider in our county that was in good standing.

Rebekah Elliot, CEO of Eastside Day Academy, said she was blown away by the grants, which she will pass along to her staff. “The generosity and partnership have been absolutely incredible,” Elliot said. “It’s been a horrible, stressful, scary year, and HCDDS has made such a huge difference. Thank you so very much!”

We issued these one-time provider sustainability grants based on the number of people served by each provider between October and December 2020. The Southwest Ohio Council of Governments distributed these grants, which are fully funded by Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services.

“We are again appreciative of HCDDS’ ongoing support and partnership, both through the generosity of this grant and in our ongoing work to support the individuals and community we mutually serve,” said Dave Bush, executive director of Starfire.

These sustainability grants are another way for HCDDS to support our amazing provider partners as we all work together to serve people with disabilities in our community. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of providers, the care exhibited by their teams, and the ingenuity of so many who found new ways to safely support people with developmental disabilities. We’re deeply grateful for their dedication.

If you have questions about how we support providers, email our Quality team.