An estimated 3,000 young retarded adults too old for public school special education programs but unable to find services in workshops or day training centers found a champion this year in House Minority Leader Lee A. Daniels (R-46, Elmhurst). Daniels sponsored and passed a package of bills (H.B. 2842-2845) to begin addressing the lack of services to the large and growing group. As passed Daniels acknowledged his bills were just a start and that as much as $60 million more might be needed. Then money for the limited initiative fell victim to Gov. James R. Thompson's $363 million in budget reductions.

Daniels knows the problem first hand. His daughter Laurie is brain damaged, and her twenty-second birthday highlighted a problem facing other developmentally disabled children in Illinois. Federal law mandates public school special education programs for the disabled through age 21. Then they "age out" and have to search for scarce and crowded community-based programs. Many end up at home while they wait for slots to open. (For more background, see '"Aging out' at 21," May 1987 Illinois Issues, pp. 20-21.)

Daniels wanted to change that. His daughter fared well, but Daniels says, "There are many children that are not as fortunate as her. Many young adults when they reach the age of 22 find a lack of funding." With his leadership position, he focused attention on the issue. "I just felt that I wanted to return something to the system and to other people, other young adults that face Laurie's future but without some of the benefits she's received," Daniels says.

The Republican Policy Committee studied aging out. Then Daniels and committee members introduced a package of five bills (later consolidated into four) to address the needs identified in the report.

Sen. Jack Schaffer (R-32, Cary) carried them in the upper chamber. The bills provide:

• reimbursement for parents who purchase special medication, equipment, clothing or services needed to keep their child at home, rather than placing him or her in an institution, a $500,000 cost;

• seven pilot case coordination centers sponsored by the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities to coordinate local services available for the aging out, a $3.2 million item;

• an increase of $3 million in money to build small group residential homes;

• family respite care services for those with aging out children, a $2 million line;

• seven pilot programs administered by the State Board of Education to evaluate disabled students and plan for them before they age out, a $500,000 cost.

As of August 25 Thompson had not acted on the bills. Aides said it would be the governor's call whether or not to sign them anyway, knowing that services cannot begin without more money. Daniels says he has encouraged the governor to sign the bills to get them on the books.

Legislative interest in aging out pleased David Stover, executive director of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities. "With the bills as a start, if we can get a mandate [for state services to the aging out population], they'll be the greatest thing for mental health," he says. Without necessary appropriations and a mandate, he worries about the future.

Daniels agrees with the need. Workshop programs that would allow the retarded to earn some money are another priority. "I know one of the greatest thrills of my daughter's life is when she can spend a few dollars on a present for me from money that she earned," Daniels says.

Although he sees the need, Daniels says it is too soon to talk about a move by lawmakers to restore Thompson's cuts. "It's senseless to talk override, at this point, until we have a better handle on the state's finances," he says. If money becomes available by fall, Daniels pledges, "I'll be in there trying to advocate the cause of the developmentally disabled. It will be a high priority." He adds, "These are people and individuals that frequently cannot care for themselves, and the compassion of government must be fully provided for individuals that suffer from this kind of disabling problem."

Deborah L. Gertz