The Connecticut Department of Developmental Services announced last week that it plans to close two state regional centers in Stratford and Meriden that serve people with intellectual disabilities.
The centers, Ella T. Grasso Regional Center in Stratford and Meriden Regional Center in Meriden, will close June 30. The 40 individuals living there will have the choice of relocating to one of the three other DDS regional centers – in Norwalk, Newington and Torrington – or moving into public or private community-based settings.
DDS said the closure is designed to reallocate funds to serve a larger number of constituents. State-operated centers often cost more than independent providers, so the plan aims to right-size the amount of services provided directly by DDS and instead expand services to a wider number of people who may not currently have access to them, it said in a news release.
Currently, the agency spends more than $1 billion to support approximately 16,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities. This plan, as part of a broader change in strategic direction for the agency, will allow state dollars to go further by serving more people, it said.
This will be the first closure of a regional center since 1996 when the state closed the Seaside Regional Center in Waterford. DDS currently operates five regional centers, public residential facilities that offer 24/7 services and supports a total of 175 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
