Family Care Council Florida Hosts January Council Meeting
Representatives from the 15 Family Care Councils gathered in Orlando for January’s Family Care Council Florida meeting. During the meeting, council members met the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ (APD’s) new Chief of Staff, Gina Herron. Herron, along with APD’s new Legislative Affairs Director, JP Bell, provided the council with an update on the first week of the 2022 Legislative Session, and APD Deputy Director of Budget, Planning, and Administration Rose Salinas shared information about the Governor’s recommended budget for 2022-23 Fiscal Year. Salinas also provided information about the Milliman Report, which details the estimated fiscal impact of the change in minimum wage to provider rates implemented by the state of Florida.
Additional legislative updates during the meeting included an update on the Coalition for Persons with Disabilities from Chief Executive Officer for The Arc Florida Alan Abramowitz. The coalition was created to educate legislators on the importance of increasing reimbursement rates for providers in hopes of hiring and keeping quality direct support professionals for individuals with developmental disabilities. Also, Disability Rights Florida’s (DRF’s) Public Policy Analyst Caitlyn Clibbon provided the council with an overview DRF’s 2022 Legislative Priorities. A summary of DRF’s legislative priorities is available at disabilityrightsflorida.org/resources/legislative_info.
The meeting also featured a presentation by Ryan Nohea Garcia, who is the President and Cofounder of Friendly Shoes, a company dedicated to creating inclusive footwear. Friendly Shoes creates footwear that increases mobility, independence, and solves more types of footwear challenges than any other shoe technology by making fitted shoes easier to put on and take off. The shoes are also more enjoyable to wear because they are not only comfortable and supportive but also quite fashionable. To learn more about Friendly Shoes and check out the various styles, visit friendlyshoes.com.
Family Care Council Florida will host their next meeting in Orlando on March 18-19. Additional details about the upcoming meeting, as well as information about local council events and activities may be found on their website at www.fccflorida.org.
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