To the editor:

We need to protect and care for our developmentally disabled adults who are unable to be totally self-sufficient. I am sure that the people who regulate and license community residential facilities for disabled adults had that in mind when they fined a Lawrence agency $10,000 for mistreating one or more disabled residents in a group home. The staff members who perpetrated and allowed the abuse to happen have already been fired and hopefully will face other consequences for their behavior.

As the parent of a developmentally disabled adult who resides in a community facility in Topeka, I question the efficacy of fining a nonprofit agency as a means of “punishing” or “modifying” the agency’s behavior. These agencies already run on a very tight budget and cannot afford to pay the direct service staff that provides care to our loved ones much more than minimum wage. I am very pleased with the staff that currently provides care to my son. They are very caring, dedicated people who often work two or more jobs to provide for their families.

I am afraid that fining the agency in Lawrence (or any agency in a similar situation) will only harm the disabled people who are served by the program. The $10,000 taken from the agency will mean less food and clothing for the people served and fewer staff hours to work with these people. Perhaps the state could find a better way to deal with the problem.

Gloria Olson,

Topeka