The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) is pleased to announce that the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has approved our new 5-Year State Plan with no next steps and no revisions required. This milestone reflects the dedication of Council members, Council staff, and the many partners who helped shape the plan from the start.
The significance of this approval becomes clear in context. Of the 55 Developmental Disabilities Councils across the states and territories, thirty-nine were flagged with next steps, and roughly half were asked to make revisions. Florida’s plan cleared review without either. That outcome speaks to the care, rigor, and collaboration that went into every stage of development.
ACL’s feedback highlighted several strengths of the plan. Reviewers noted a clear connection between the needs identified in our Comprehensive Review and Analysis and the work we propose to undertake. In other words, the goals in the plan are grounded in what Floridians with developmental disabilities and their families have told us they need.
ACL also commented favorably on our framework for implementing the plan and measuring progress each year. A strong framework helps ensure that we can track our results, learn from them, and adjust our approach as needed, so the Council remains accountable to the people it serves.
Finally, ACL recognized and appreciated the extensive collaboration behind the plan. That work included partnership with our DD Network partners, State agencies, self-advocates, family members, providers, universities, and other disability and community organizations. Each of these voices strengthened the plan, and the review is a testament to the value of building it together.
With approval in hand, the FDDC has received permission to begin work on the new State Plan. Contracts and agreements are currently in the process of being signed, allowing projects to get underway. This is an exciting transition, as the planning phase gives way to the work of turning our goals into real change in communities across Florida.
Approval is a major accomplishment, but it is the beginning rather than the end. We are now challenged to continue the exemplary work that earned this recognition as we begin the implementation phase. Over the next five years, the plan will serve as our roadmap for advancing the independence, productivity, and inclusion of Floridians with developmental disabilities.
For more information about the Five-Year plan and its priority areas of Access to Services, Behavioral Health and Challenging Behaviors, Aging Families, Self Advocacy Leadership and Emerging Needs visit Five Year State Plan – FDDC.