Where Policy Meets Practice | Q1 2026
A Quarterly Update from DeAnna Julian
CEO, Frazer Center | Board President, SPADD
From Frazer Center:
Advocacy is part of our mission.
In addition to leading Frazer Center, CEO DeAnna Julian serves as Board President of SPADD (Service Providers for Developmental Disabilities), a statewide association representing organizations across Georgia. She also serves on the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission.
Each quarter, DeAnna will share an inside look at the policy conversations shaping services, funding, and opportunity for individuals with developmental disabilities.
A Quiet Session, but not a Passive One
By DeAnna Julian
If you follow legislation closely, this may appear to be a quieter year for developmental disability policy in Georgia.
But meaningful policy work rarely happens only when headlines are loud.
This session is defined less by sweeping proposals and more by structural work, such as reviewing data, validating assessment tools, and evaluating how systems function. That work may not feel dramatic, but it determines what is possible in future legislative cycles.
Understanding the Waitlist
The most urgent issue continues to be Georgia’s waiver waitlist, currently consisting of approximately 8,000 individuals.
A waiver allows individuals with developmental disabilities to receive home- and community-based services instead of institutional care. When someone is on the waitlist, it means they qualify for support but do not yet have funding attached.
Behind that number are families waiting for stability, adults waiting for employment support, and caregivers carrying immense responsibility.
While we are not seeing a large expansion of waiver funding this year, important groundwork is happening. The state is working to better define and validate how individuals are categorized by urgency of need. That may sound technical, but accuracy in this process directly impacts how funding decisions are made.
If we want sustainable solutions, we must have credible data.
And we must continue advocating consistently, not just in high-profile years.
Budget Stabilization and System Alignment
This is shaping up to be a stabilization year in terms of state funding. After previous increases, this session appears focused on maintaining rather than expanding.
There are also structural discussions underway about oversight and alignment across systems that serve individuals with developmental disabilities. These decisions influence how services are coordinated statewide, even if they are not widely publicized.
For providers, these details matter. For families, they determine access. For policymakers, they shape long-term sustainability.
Policy Is Often in the Details
Some of the most meaningful changes under discussion are not large appropriations, they are clarifications that remove barriers.
Conversations are underway about reimbursement when staff accompany individuals with developmental disabilities in emergency rooms. There are also ongoing efforts to clarify protections and processes in complex medical decision scenarios.
These are not dramatic reforms. They are practical improvements that allow providers to better support people during vulnerable moments.
That is what thoughtful policy looks like.
Employment First: Moving from Statement to Reality
Georgia is designated as an Employment First state. That means competitive, integrated employment should be the preferred path for individuals with disabilities.
But designation alone does not create opportunity.
At Frazer Center, we see adults who want to work, who are capable, dependable, and motivated. Employment is not only about income. It is about dignity, contribution, and community connection.
For Employment First to be meaningful, it must be reflected in employer partnerships, workforce development strategies, and statewide mindset shifts.
This is an area where Georgia has opportunity—and responsibility.
Investing in the Workforce
No policy conversation is complete without addressing the Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce.
Georgia Uplift, now in its third year, provides sustainability support for DSPs across the state, including assistance for car repairs, housing stability, childcare support, and help navigating public benefits systems.
Georgia is currently the only state offering this level of coordinated, statewide support for DSP retention.
When we talk about service access, we must also talk about workforce sustainability. Without DSPs, there are no community-based services.
Supporting people means supporting the people who support them.
Learn more at georgiauplift.org.
Looking Ahead
This may not be a year of sweeping legislation in the developmental disability arena. But it is a year of positioning, of strengthening data, refining systems, and preparing for future advocacy.
The priorities remain clear:
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Reducing the waiver waitlist
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Ensuring sustainable provider funding
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Stabilizing and supporting the workforce
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Expanding meaningful community integration, including employment
Policy change is rarely instant. It is cumulative.
And the work continues with every session, every meeting, every conversation.
I look forward to keeping you informed each quarter.