TFS Connection

A Note from Ralph:

2026   In my last column I addressed the shortcomings of developing a “One Size Fits All” approach to service delivery. There will always be a need for residential treatment programs in Long Term Services and Supports and only person-centered evaluations will assure that individual needs are met. This column will address another subject that has become unpopular with some advocates of those with intellectual disabilities. Again, we are looking at a “One Size Must Fit All” mentality. That issue is the Sub-Minimum Wage (SMW). In the 1930’s federal legislation created an exception to Minimum Wage Laws and allowed certain employers to operate work centers in which they pay intellectually/developmentally disabled (IDD) individuals less than the federal minimum wage. The SMW is designated as a 14(c) program after the federal statute which created the program. This is an exception to the Fair Labor Standards Act administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. These employers were overwhelmingly nonprofit service providers and their employees were typically paid on the basis of their productivity. These work shops were usually started by parents seeking to provide day service solutions for their children who had aged out of the school system. The woman who mentored me when I first entered the IDD world had started one such work shop. The SMW has been a target of the advocates for the IDD crowd. The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking to phase out the SMW. Tennessee took unilateral action about 10 years to eliminate the SMW and forced the Nonprofits in Tennessee to close their work programs. Nationwide, approximately 390,000 14(c) jobs have been lost since 2001. Data from the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts reports a multi-year trend of increasing numbers of IDD individuals in non-work pursuits, primarily adult day care. So, in search of more meaningful employment individuals with IDD are now typically limited to less than 10 hours of employment per week. Have they achieved the dream of self-sufficiency the advocates have for them? Hardly. Why does this continue to happen in American society? Economist, Thomas Sowell said it best when he wrote about two visions… the vision of the “Anointed” and the vision of the “Tragic”. The first vision insists it must be done because it is righteous. The second vision recognizes that any decision is going to be tragic because it will meet the needs of some while denying the needs of others.

Congratulations to Molly Fletcher - Family Teacher of the Quarter!

Molly has always had a nurturing spirit. Prior to coming to TFS, Molly worked in the dietary department at a nursing home. She found her way to TFS 5 years ago and started her career as a Direct Support Teacher. Molly was promoted to the Family Teacher role last year. Molly shares she loves the connections she has built with the people she serves and how rewarding her work feels. She attributes her supportive staff as a key factor to her success as a Family Teacher. In her free time, Molly enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, making jewelry, and caring for houseplants. She is a married mom of 2 and a Blue Heeler puppy.

We look forward to sharing our Spring and Summer adventures - see you in the next edition!