State of the States in developmental disabilities: 2004.

Public spending for MR/DD services grew rapidly during FYs 2000-2002. This rapid growth was followed by reductions in spending for MR/DD services as the nation's economy declined during 2002-2004. However, convergent factors stimulating future expansion of funding and services for persons with MR/DD include rapidly expanding cohorts of aging caregivers in the states, increasing longevity of persons with MR/DD, and extensive litigation in the states promoting access to services.

Selected trends in public spending for MR/DD services and the state economies.

In this article we summarize mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD) spending since 1977, with emphasis on spending during the period 1995-2000. The change in state economic conditions, from strong growth in recent years to fiscal constraint in 2002, is also addressed. Spending data presented here are from the seventh State of the States in Developmental Disabilities (Braddock, 2002).