Maria, Mike, & Marci at Family Day

Today was Family Day. 

We invited the families of our Ranchers out to meet new staff, hear a “State of the Ranch” address, and learn more about the roller-coaster we suspect we'll all be boarding sometime in the next 2-4 years as our nation confronts the fact that we're–oops–out of money and we have to find some other way to fund the needs of our loved ones.

We're not Chicken Little, but we're not ostriches, either.  There's reason for concern, if not alarm.

We jumped feet first into the alphabet soup of disability-talk acronyms.  Seems the CMS might push THHS to do something to DADS regarding the ICFs morphing into HCSs at some point in the future, giving the MRAs more authority, with everything  “un-bundled” and that rhymes (sort of) with trouble, right here in River City!

Parents Ponder the Mysteries

Good news: a lot more people with IDDs will start receiving funds to help them survive.

Bad news: everybody will get a lot less money per person than the somebodies who already receive funds are getting now.

Once we had completely confused our parents, we settled down to discuss life at the Ranch.  Phil talked about the program, Genie discussed the role of the Board of Directors, Casey filled everyone in on current changes in her role as QMRP (now QIDP or QDDP depending on who you talk to), and Marci outlined the day program, activities, and Rancher choice options.

The Ranchers joined us for lunch.  It's always fun to see them when they sight their parents for the first time at such events.  They might have seen their parents two days ago, but you wouldn't know that.  They fly at them with open arms and huge smiles, so happy they're here. 

Overjoyed, Rebekah finds Casey

Even Kelly, who sees us every day.

After lunch Jerry discussed how we propose to replace the income we will surely be losing in the years to come, as the government scales back social services and supports.

It's simple, really. 

We need to find 10,000 people to give us a quarter a day, or 5,000 people to give us half a dollar a day, or 2,500 people to give us a dollar a day…or one person to give us $918,000 a year.

Somehow we suspect it will be easier to find a bunch of people to give us a little money than one person to give us a million.  So we're looking. 

If you're one of those people, check out the 10K on the web site.  If you suspect you know some of those people, please forward this blog.

Travis, Mom and Dad

Several of our Ranchers, trying to express their feelings for our community, sum it up with this.

“The Ranch is my life.”

For a quarter a day, you can join the 10K and really help Down Home Ranch keep it that way for them.