Staff Writer
About 40 Aroostook County residents who depend on weekly assistance with household chores and errands may lose that help if Gov. Baldacci’s plan to curtail the state budget is implemented. Home and Family Services, operated by Catholic Charities of Maine, has been targeted to experience an immediate decrease in funds in order reach the governor’s plan to cut $38 million.
In order to balance the current two-year budget, the governor has proposed cutting $95 million. During this year, the first year of the biennial spending plan, $38 million must be cut, the governor said. The remaining $57 million would be cut during the following year, which is the second year of the biennial budget.
Any proposals must be approved by the Maine Legislature.
According to Don Harden, director of adult programs for Catholic Charities, the service has been available for more than 40 years in 13 counties in Maine. Proposed to be cut from the budget is $127,575. That amount represents 73 percent of the entire program’s budget and 25 percent of Aroostook County’s portion.
“It means we have to cut 25 percent of the program out in 175 days,” said Harden. “It’s pretty challenging.”
The County portion of the program has an annual budget of $122,500. Besides state funds, the program receives money from other agencies.
While the program appears to be funded when the new budget year starts on July 1, there’s no guarantee that the program may not experience additional cuts, Harden said.
Kathy Poitras, the program supervisor for Aroostook County, said that the clients served are under 60 years old and usually have a disability that prohibits them from doing various chores such as housecleaning or laundry. Most of them don’t drive so they need assistance in going to the bank or grocery shopping.
“A lot of them are not eligible for other services,” Poitras said. “They don’t need personal care, (but) a lot of them don’t drive. They don’t have family in the area.”
Poitras supervises one full-time employee, one part-time employee and two employees work on an on-call basis. The homemakers usually go to each client once a week and work for about two to three hours, Poitras explained.
“We’ve had to take steps immediately to reduce services,” said Harden.
Program officials also have implemented an immediate halt to new referrals for clients.
“There’s not much to take away,” said Harden. “It’s always challenging for rural areas. It’s very expensive.”
When the price of fuel is considered, program officials may have to deal with only those clients that live in higher populated areas, Harden said.
Program officials are working with legislators on the proposed cuts to find alternatives so that these clients won’t lose the services, Harden said.
