They Deserve A Path Forward.
Together for Youth With IDD
Ensuring children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Illinois have access to safe, stable, and continuous residential supports—before and after age 22.
Who We Are
Together for Youth with IDD is a coalition of nonprofit organizations across Illinois dedicated to serving children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our members include direct service providers and statewide IDD advocacy associations working to ensure continuity of care for young people with complex support needs.
Together, we bring lived experience, frontline expertise, and policy knowledge to address one shared challenge: making sure young people with IDD are not left without safe, appropriate places to live and thrive.
The Challenge
Children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Illinois face a system that is stretched beyond capacity and filled with gaps.
-
More than 11,400 children and youth under age 22 are currently on Illinois’ PUNS waiting list for residential services—nearly ten times the state’s existing capacity in children’s group homes.
-
Approximately 82% of people with IDD in Illinois live at home with their families, many of whom are navigating complex behavioral, medical, and safety needs without adequate support.
-
When a young person turns 22, funding for residential services often ends abruptly—not because their needs change, but because eligibility rules do. This “funding cliff” leaves families scrambling and providers forced to deliver care without sustainable funding.
-
With limited community-based options, many youth are funneled into State Operated Developmental Centers (SODCs), even though community-based group homes are significantly more cost-effective and better aligned with person-centered care.
Why it Matters Now.
Why it Matters Now.
Why it Matters Now. Why it Matters Now.
Across Illinois, more young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are reaching adulthood without a clear path to safe, stable housing and supports.
Each year, youth with significant support needs lose critical funding at age 22—not because their needs change, but because the system does. Families are forced into crisis decisions, providers are absorbing unsustainable costs, and community-based options continue to shrink.
Without action, the gap between need and capacity will only grow—putting young people at risk and increasing reliance on costly institutional care.
Our Misson
Together for Youth with IDD is a coalition of nonprofit organizations across Illinois committed to ensuring children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have access to appropriate residential services and individualized supports. We serve young people with diverse and complex needs and advocate for systems that provide safe, supportive, and nurturing environments – without disruption at age 22 or barriers based on funding source.
Our Vision
We envision an Illinois where children and young adults with IDD experience seamless, lifelong supports that are person-centered, responsive, and community-based. In this future, services and support follow the individual rather than changing at arbitrary age limits, empowering young people to develop life skills, build meaningful relationships, and live full, self-directed lives in the communities they call home.
Coalition Members
Together for Youth with IDD brings together advocacy leaders and direct service providers from across Illinois, including:
