A push to raise wages for those working with developmental disabilities

The inner rewards are rich for Rosalind Wakefield, who works as a direct support professional at Little City in Palatine, assisting people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

But with wages akin to fast food and the likelihood of no raise next year, Wakefield and others like her are finding it increasingly difficult to do the work they love.

Making ends meet can mean logging up to 60 hours a week, she said.

“We’re not where we need to be yet,” the Itasca resident added. “It’s still hard to earn a living wage without overtime.”

The outlook is not likely to improve. The state, which pays for 90 percent of DSP wages, included a $2.50-an-hour raise for those workers in the budget year that ends June 30, but an increase is not planned in the 2025 budget.

Starting pay for a DSP at Little City is $18.75 per hour. The state’s minimum wage is $14 an hour and is scheduled to reach $15 on January 1.

DSP provides a wide range of basic care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from daily tasks such as grooming, housekeeping and meal preparation to assistance with art classes and horticulture programs.

“They’re really the backbone of our organization,” said Little City CEO Rich Bobby, whose Palatine-based agency serves children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the suburbs and Chicago. “Without them we wouldn’t exist.”

James Sitati, who has worked at Little City for 20 years, describes DSPs like himself as followers. His duties include waking residents, providing breakfast and medication, and taking them to daily enrichment activities.

“You are a counselor. You are a friend,” he said.

Wakefield has been a DSP for 29 years. Her duties include working in Little City’s horticulture center, where she helps residents grow plants, some of which are sold at the annual plant sale, which began on May 2.

“I like working directly with individuals,” Wakefield said. “When I get to work directly with them and see them change and grow and learn, it’s rewarding.”

Prospect Heights resident Colleen Getz knows firsthand the value of DSPs. Her 22-year-old autistic daughter, Katie Helmer, is a Little City resident.

“They help her take care of all her daily needs,” she said. “My daughter needs 24/7 supervision so they are able to keep her safe and also help her progress to being as independent as possible.”

Sitati said this year’s $2.50 raise helped, but a raise next year would also mean less overtime and more time with his family. It would also help attract more people to the profession and ensure a higher quality of work, he added.

“In a good week, I work 85 to 90 hours. One of my biggest fears is falling asleep on the way home,” said Sitati, who lives on Chicago’s North Side.

Jessica Smart, president and CEO of Arlington Heights-based Clearbrook, said DSPs are responsible for people with significant personal care needs. Someone may be in a wheelchair and need assistance with bathing. Another may need shopping and medication or help with transportation to a job.

Clearbrook provides services to more than 8,000 children and adults affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Smart noted that many of the DSPs are heads of households.

“They work long hours to support their families,” she said.

A 2020 study by Guidehouse Inc. for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities, recommended that the average salary of a DSP be increased to at least 150% of the minimum wage. For fiscal year 2024, DSP wages in Illinois are at 139% and are likely to drop to 130% in early 2025 without a raise.

“He could work at McDonald’s and make as much as a DSP,” Bobby said.

Bobby added that there are also equity issues at play, as the majority of DSP’s workforce is made up of people of color and women.

Samantha Alloway, director of government relations for the Little City Foundation, said recruiting and retaining DSPs is a challenge “because we can’t pay them what the job is worth.”

“We don’t have the staff to provide the services needed to create fulfilling lives for people with (intellectual and developmental disabilities),” she added.

This year’s wage increase helped, Smart said, but any progress will be lost without a wage increase next year.

State legislation could provide a remedy. Two pending measures, Senate Bill 3764 and House Bill 4806, call for a $3 hourly increase starting Jan. 1. This would bring the salary up to 150% of the recommended minimum wage.

“Right now in Illinois, we’re way behind in what we should be paying our direct support professionals,” said state Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Palatine and one of the sponsors of the House bill.