Local respite home plans to close at end of month

BEVERLY HILLS — Judson Center’s Lahser Children’s Respite Home, located at 31111 Lahser Road in Beverly Hills, will be closing its doors Sept. 28. The closure follows a ruling that the center is no longer in compliance with Michigan Public Act 116.

Lahser Children’s Respite Home has been a resource in the community since 1986, providing respite care for children between the ages of 6 and 17 who have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Michigan Public Act 116 does not allow for a child care facility to accept both minors and adults. Thirty-eight years ago, Lahser Children’s Respite Home was granted a variance, allowing adults through age 26 to receive respite care at the home, as long as they were already receiving services before they turned 18 years old.

This year, the waiver was not renewed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

“The state’s legal department said no, they can’t operate like this — it would require an amendment to Public Act 116 through the state Legislature. I can understand the state’s position. We have a very good relationship with the state,” Judson Center President and CEO Lenora Hardy-Foster said.

But not allowing Lahser Children’s Respite Home to serve adults took away a primary and necessary income for the home.

“We can’t afford to continue to operate the respite home unless we were allowed to continue with the waiver that supports a blended model,” she said.  “When it comes to providing respite services to children ages 6 to 17, we don’t have that many families who want to bring their child to a center. Many prefer respite services to be provided in their homes.”

Even before this ruling, the home was operating at a loss, Hardy-Foster said.

“We usually operate the respite home with about an annual $100,000 loss, which included servicing the young adults,” she said. “Through our fundraising efforts, we have tried to cover that loss. However, the loss would be far greater now that we cannot serve that older population anymore.”

Hardy-Foster said they have been involved with the families and state officials throughout this decision process.

“As soon as we were notified that the waiver was being rescinded, we engaged all of the families and held meetings to keep everyone abreast of what was happening regarding the future of the respite home,” Hardy-Foster said.

Annually, nearly 50 families are served at the Lahser Children’s Respite Home. The Judson Center has worked with families to find alternative respite care options, and staff members of the home have been offered other jobs in the agency.

“It breaks our heart. We hate having to close the home. But we can’t afford to sustain that program, because it would require a certain amount of dollars to run the home, and we just don’t have those funds. If we only just serve the children, the census is going to be very, very low. It is a six-bed facility, and Monday through Wednesday, sometimes even Monday through Thursday, we don’t have any beds filled, especially now that we can’t occupy it with older young adults with disabilities who were already receiving services before they turned 18.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services was not available to comment by press time.

“The state has been an outstanding partner. It’s just that this matter will require the state Legislature to amend the public act, and it’s not something that can be done overnight,” Hardy-Foster said.