|
 |
 |
|
Archived
News and Projects East Contra Costa homes for disabled children to close
Good Shepherd Communities says it has lost $2.5 million on the seven facilities and has trouble getting nurses.
OAKLEY -- A company that provides Christian-based care is closing seven East Contra Costa County homes and displacing 42 severely disabled children from throughout the Bay Area, blaming high housing costs and the state's nursing shortage.
The company's nearest similar homes are in Fresno, which leaves families with difficult options. Administrators for Good Shepherd Communities, formerly Good Shepherd Lutheran Homes, said the company will close six homes in Oakley and one in Knightsen between March 31 and May 31.
Over the past four years the seven homes have lost more than $2.5 million, said Pam McCrea, chief executive and president of Good Shepherd. "We serve 900 people in four states, and we can't afford to let these homes drain the resources of the corporation," she said.
Good Shepherd Communities, in affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, provides Christian-based care to children and adults with severe disabilities. The seven homes in far East County serve children from all over the Bay Area including Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco.
Each home houses six children. Those old enough for school attend special education classes in local districts. The homes are funded in part through Medi-Cal and donations to Good Shepherd Communities.
James Burton, executive director of the Regional Center of the East Bay, said Good Shepherd is battling a common enemy. The center is a nonprofit agency under the state Department of Developmental Services that provides assessment and placement for people with developmental disabilities.
"The state rates given to service providers are the same throughout California," he said. "Contra Costa County has a 25 percent higher cost of living than the average county; it's hard for a program to keep going." McCrea said Good Shepherd is also having a hard time finding nurses for the homes in Oakley and Knightsen. To keep the nurses they have, McCrea said they're paying them more than they're paying employees in any other facility in the company."In the Delta area, you can't find employees to work for the state's minimum wage," she said. "That's hurting us." McCrea said the state regulates home service providers and fines companies that do not have enough nurses. Most of the children served by Good Shepherd suffer from multiple developmental disabilities and are classified as medically fragile.
Paul and Erin Martinez's 15-year-old daughter Kate is one of those children. The Martinez family lives in Fremont, but Kate has been in an Oakley Good Shepherd home for two years. Kate, who is deaf, is also diabetic and has a rare genetic syndrome. Her mother said she's made tremendous progress since being in Good Shepherd's care. "She's grown so much, she's walking now, and she's learning to sign," Erin Martinez said. "We gave our daughter up to get her the help she needs, and now they're closing down." McCrea said after the homes close, parents can opt to send their children to Good Shepherd facilities in Fresno. Martinez said that's an option she doesn't want to consider.
Fremont resident Hang Nguyen's 16-year-old son, Victor, who has a chromosome deficiency, also lives in an Oakley Good Shepherd home. She's angry about the closure and doesn't know if she'll send her son to Fresno. "It's like a bomb over my head," she said. "I prefer to keep him closer. I usually visit him on the weekends, it's only an hour away, but Fresno -- that's six hours just of traveling time," she said.
Burton said he believes the homes could remain open without a disruption of service if another care provider purchased them. "We're committed to do anything to keep these homes open," he said. "Other service providers have expressed an interest. I'm being optimistic." Martinez said she hopes the homes will find a way to stay open. "Children with disabilities need continuity and consistency," she said. "They need their routine. They know their schools, their bus drivers, their nurses. Moving them will set them back." Read More Archived News Stories AB896 General Human Interest Litigation State Budget
CASH/PCR is a nonprofit public benefit corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation law for public and charitable purposes. |
 |
|
 |