Disability support services are not optional, they are essential. For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, these supports provide access to housing, community, employment, healthcare, and independence. For families, they offer peace of mind, safety, and partnership. And for communities like ours in Louisville, Kentucky, they ensure every person has a place to belong.
At Day Spring, we’ve spent over 30 years walking alongside people with disabilities and their families, building a world where independence is possible, community is inclusive, and dignity is never negotiable. But today, these services, and the future of those who depend on them, are at risk.
A System in Crisis: The National and Statewide Picture
Across the country, disability service organizations are facing serious challenges. A shortage of direct support professionals (DSPs), outdated Medicaid reimbursement rates, and unsustainable staffing costs are straining the system. And now, proposed policy changes at the federal level threaten to make things worse.
Recent actions by the current presidential administration signal a dangerous trend, one that could lead to reduced funding for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), which are the foundation of community-based care. For the people we serve, these services aren’t luxuries, they’re lifelines.
In Kentucky, the need is especially urgent. Our state ranks among the highest in disability prevalence, yet access to housing, employment, and individualized supports remains deeply limited. There simply aren’t enough options, or resources, for adults with disabilities to thrive in safe, supported, and integrated environments.
That’s where Day Spring comes in.
How Day Spring Fills the Gap in Kentucky
As a nonprofit organization in Louisville, Day Spring is proud to be one of the few providers in Kentucky offering a full continuum of person-centered residential services. Our programs are designed to meet people where they are and walk with them into a more independent future.
We provide:
Supportive housing in real neighborhoods
College for Living: life skills training for young adults with disabilities
Family Home Provider partnerships with dedicated, loving families
Community integration, health and wellness programs, and exposure to the arts
A strong, dedicated team of DSPs and professionals who care deeply
But what truly sets us apart is that we’re local, person-centered, and family-focused. Our residents aren’t numbers, they’re neighbors, coworkers, siblings, and friends.
What’s at Stake
If the proposed federal policy changes reduce funding for Medicaid and home-based services, organizations like Day Spring will face even greater challenges in maintaining staff, expanding services, and supporting families in crisis.
Without action, the service gap in Kentucky will grow and more people will be left behind.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
What You Can Do
You don’t have to be a policymaker to protect the future of disability services. Here are three ways you can help today:
1. Make a Donation
Your gift helps us provide safe housing, education, and direct care to those who need it most.
Give Now
2. Advocate for Change
Make your voice heard. Whether you’re a family member, community supporter, or provider, your message matters.
Here are a few ways you can reach out to state and federal leaders:
The Arc Action Center – The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and serving them and their families. Sign up for their newsletter and check out their website to stay up to date on opportunities to advocate for disability rights.
National Disability Rights Network – Send a pre-written message to Congress advocating for disability rights.
ANCOR Social Media Advocacy – ANCOR works to shape policy and share solutions to strengthen the ability of community-based providers to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They have a long list of ways to advocate on social media, among a number of other resources.
Kentucky General Assembly Legislator Lookup – To spearhead your own advocacy contact your local state representatives.
Urge leaders to:
Preserve Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
Invest in disability organizations and direct support staff
Expand access to residential and employment services across Kentucky
3. Join Our Mission – On the Clock or In the Community
Day Spring is always looking for caring people to join our team, and not just through employment.
Looking for a job with purpose? Explore our open roles: View Jobs
Want to volunteer your time or talents? We have opportunities for individuals, churches, youth groups, and corporate partners. Sign up to Volunteer
Whether you’re cooking a meal, planting flowers, helping at an event, or just spending time with residents, volunteering makes a real difference.
A Call for Community
At Day Spring, we believe everyone, regardless of ability, deserves to live with dignity, support, and purpose. We are proud to be a nonprofit organization in Kentucky filling a vital gap in the disability services system. But we can’t do it alone.
As national policies shift and local needs grow, we need partners, donors, advocates, and friends who will stand with us and say: every life matters.
Because the future of disability support services isn’t just a policy issue—it’s a human one
