Staff Report
Gov. Bill Richardson announced Monday that he will ask the state Legislature for $750,000 to expand UNM's Center for Development and Disabilities.
The money would be part of a $5.8 million package to help disabled New Mexican children.
"The year of the child is coming to a close - in fact, we're coming into the year of water - but we want to keep helping children," Richardson said. "I want to do something for disabled kids."
The center diagnoses and cares for children with developmental disabilities such as autism.
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Richardson made the announcement at the center.
Catherine McClain, director of the center, said the money would help autistic children get care faster.
"With the funding that has been outlined in Gov. Richardson's proposal, families will no longer have to wait up to three years to find out if their child has autism," she said.
Richardson said the center has a three-year waiting list of 300 children that need to be diagnosed.
The center is open only one day a week. Richardson said the money will allow it to be open three days a week and clear its backlog in one year.
"The first step with these kids is to get them correctly diagnosed," he said. "If their families don't know what disorder they have, they can't get them the specific help they need."
The proposal includes $1.25 million for the Family, Infant and Toddler Program, which focuses on early diagnosing of disabled children; $1.1 million for autism treatment; $1.1 million for health care for disabled children; and $1.15 million for promoting adoption of disabled children and a tax credit for families who adopt them.
State Sen. Dede Feldman said it is important for families of disabled children to support the proposal when it goes before the Legislature.
"We don't need a lot of expensive lobbyists," she said. "We have to get this through the Legislature. You have to swing into action in January."
