By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews
When Maryland Governor Wes Moore ran for office, one phrase defined his campaign message: “Leave Nobody Behind.”
But a controversial budget proposal now moving through Annapolis has disability advocates asking a blunt question:
Who exactly is being left behind now?
Moore’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposes roughly $150 million in cuts to Maryland’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)—reductions that could ripple far beyond the state ledger.
Because many of the services funded by the DDA rely on federal Medicaid matching dollars, the real financial impact could reach $300 million or more once those federal funds disappear.
For thousands of Maryland families caring for individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental conditions, advocates say the cuts threaten the programs that allow their loved ones to live safely in their communities.
A Lifeline for Families
The Developmental Disabilities Administration funds programs that provide daily support for individuals with significant disabilities.
These services often include:
- One-on-one caregivers
- In-home support and respite care
- Community integration programs
- Behavioral and sensory support
- Assistance with basic daily living tasks
Many families rely on self-directed services, a system that allows them to hire caregivers directly instead of relying exclusively on agency staffing.
Advocates say that flexibility is essential for people with complex needs.
Without it, families warn that the result could be devastating.
Reduced support hours or lower wages for caregivers could drive workers out of an already strained workforce, leaving vulnerable individuals without the help they need to remain at home.
In some cases, families fear the alternative could be institutional care or crisis intervention—a step backward from decades of policy designed to help people with disabilities live independently in their communities.
The Federal Money Maryland Would Walk Away From
Critics say the most troubling part of the proposal is not just the state cuts themselves.
It’s the federal funding Maryland would lose as a result.
Many DDA services are funded through Medicaid home- and community-based services waivers, which operate on a matching system between the state and federal governments.
For every dollar Maryland spends on eligible services, the federal government typically contributes roughly another dollar.
That means cutting $150 million in state funding could also eliminate more than $150 million in federal matching funds.
In practical terms, the state could be walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise support disability services.
Advocates argue that this makes the proposal both morally troubling and fiscally questionable.
The Second Year of the Same Fight
This is not the first time the Moore administration has proposed reductions to disability services.
Last year, a similar plan sparked widespread backlash from families, providers, and disability rights organizations.
After intense lobbying and emotional testimony in Annapolis, lawmakers restored much of the funding during the final budget negotiations.
Now, advocates say they are facing the same fight again.
Families and advocacy groups—including organizations like the Maryland Autism Project, The Arc Maryland, and Jubilee Association—have mobilized rapidly.
Rallies have taken place in Annapolis, social media campaigns are urging residents to contact lawmakers, and emotional testimony at legislative hearings has highlighted the human consequences of the proposed cuts.
For many families, the programs on the chopping block are not luxuries.
They are what allow them to keep their children safe and cared for.
A Budget Crisis—and a Question of Priorities
The Moore administration argues the reductions are part of broader “cost containment” efforts needed to address Maryland’s projected $1.5–$1.6 billion budget deficit.
State officials say enrollment in DDA programs has increased about 11 percent over the past five years, while overall spending has risen more than 140 percent.
But critics say balancing the state budget on the backs of the disabled raises serious questions about priorities.
Maryland’s overall budget exceeds $70 billion, meaning the targeted reductions represent only a fraction of total spending.
Some lawmakers from both parties have already begun questioning why one of the state’s most vulnerable populations is bearing such a large share of the proposed cuts.
The Political Optics
The proposal also puts Moore in a politically uncomfortable position.
Since taking office, the governor has cultivated a national profile and frequently aligned Maryland with other Democratic-led states in high-profile legal and political battles with the federal government.
But disability advocates argue that families facing the loss of essential care services are far less concerned about national political fights than they are about what happens inside Maryland’s own budget.
For them, the issue is not partisan.
It is deeply personal.
Parents caring for children with severe disabilities say the programs now under review are what allow them to work, care for their families, and keep their loved ones out of institutional settings.
Without those supports, many fear the fragile stability they have built could collapse.
The Fight Ahead in Annapolis
The proposed cuts are still under review in the Maryland General Assembly, where lawmakers will spend the coming weeks negotiating the final state budget.
Committees in both chambers—including the House Appropriations Committee and Senate Finance Committee—are currently examining the DDA proposals.
The legislature ultimately has the power to restore, modify, or approve the cuts.
Advocates hope lawmakers will intervene as they did last year.
But until the final budget is approved, families across Maryland say they remain deeply uncertain about what the future holds.
For them, the stakes could not be clearer.
The debate unfolding in Annapolis is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet.
It is about whether Maryland will keep its promise to leave nobody behind.
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