Looking Ahead to the 2025-26 State Budget

by Marisa Geitner

As we close out another year of services in our community, we are already looking ahead at the 2025-26 New York State budget. The 2024-25 State budget took steps in the right direction, providing a 2.84% cost-of-living adjustment for people in direct care positions, but there is still much work to be done.

The recruitment and retention of talented, compassionate caring professionals continues to be essential for nonprofit agencies like Heritage Christian Services. We will continue to advocate for a Wage Commission that could set an appropriate living wage for direct support professionals, providing them with greater self-sufficiency and improving recruitment and retention rates.

Additionally, there is an opportunity for the 2025-26 budget to address the true costs of care that agencies incur, such as medicine, transportation and more, along with an increase in capital funding, which could modernize program sites and ensure sustainable care settings for the future.

These budget requests are essential for the stability of our care infrastructure. Thankfully, New York has delegates receptive to nonprofit agencies’ needs. We also have strong community support. I believe in people’s power to make change and am hopeful that the 2025-26 budget will empower nonprofit agencies across the state. Visit our advocacy page to learn how you can join our efforts.