The following is a letter to the editor that appeared in The Tennesseean regarding the appalling waiting list crisis in Tennessee
To the Editor:
I am writing on behalf of my special needs daughter and the almost 7,000 other special individuals who are on the waiting list for services from the state of Tennessee.
Our daughter has been on the waiting list for seven years. There is something desperately wrong when a state has a waiting list of almost 7,000. The state of Tennessee has failed to meet the needs of its most vulnerable citizens. The situation is not going to get any better until our elected officials meet the challenge of funding and establishing enough providers to accommodate these individuals.
Presently, the only way a special needs person can be served is if they are in a crisis situation. That almost always means the death of a parent or caregiver. Our daughter was recently denied services by the DMRS.
The bottom line is, she lives with two parents and that is not considered a crisis situation. What a shame that our state has put this great need on the back burner for so many years. Is there any one out there listening?
Millie L. Cummings, UNION CITY 38261
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