Cape autism institute hopes for restoration of state funding this year to prevent closing

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to reflect the correct number of families served on an annual basis.

A local autism institute is struggling financially to make up for the loss of all of its state funding, but hopes lawmakers will restore some funding for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

"We are in a mess now," said Carrie Tracy, director of the Tailor Institute. "It has been such a hard time."

Tracy said two Cape Girardeau lawmakers -- state Rep. Kathy Swan and state Sen. Wayne Wallingford -- have indicated they will seek to restore funding for the institute.

"Obviously, we are counting on them to come through for us," she said, adding that the institute has embarked on a petition drive to demonstrate to lawmakers public support for the institute.

"We are hoping to get 1,000 signatures," she said Wednesday. The institute already has collected a large number of signatures since kicking off the petition drive late last month, Tracy said.

Swan said Wednesday that she has spoken to staff at the offices of both Gov. Eric Greitens' office and the House budget chairman, requesting that funding be restored for the Tailor Institute.

But at this point, she said, she has no assurance as to whether funding will be provided to the institute.

"I can't get a sense from any of them," she said.

Meanwhile, the institute continues to limp along.

The organization scaled back its operations on Aug. 31, she said. The institute has not accepted new participants and staff members have taken pay cuts, Tracy said.

"They have hung on," she said of the staff.

The Tailor Institute had operated with an eight-member staff, but amid the funding problem, two staff members left voluntarily, she said.

Tracy said the institute still serves its existing clients -- about 40 people per month with autism and more than 150 families annually.

The organization continues to hold its social-therapy group sessions for its participants with autism, she said.

A fundraising event, held last April before the organization's staff learned of the loss of state funding, raised $34,000

After losing the state funding, the organization raised another $28,000 in donations, Tracy said.

The institute has sufficient funding to keep its doors open through March, she said.

Tracy said the organization continues to look for additional funding. It is seeking to become eligible to accept Medicaid payments for its services as well as other insurance payments, she said.

Improved funding could allow the institute to expand its services, Tracy said.

The organization now serves people ranging in age from 16 to 24. Added funding could expand those services to individuals as young as 10 years of age, she said.

But without state or other funding, the Tailor Institute would have to close its doors later this year, Tracy said.

The funding uncertainty has institute participants worried. "Parents who approach me are just desperate," she said. "They are panicked. They are crying."

Tracy said she welcomes "any suggestions" for funding solutions.

The funding problem surfaced when lawmakers scrapped funding for the Tailor Institute near the end of the regular legislative session in May.

Both Swan and Wallingford said at the time that they were surprised by the loss of funding. Swan said she had "no idea" it had been taken out in a legislative conference committee.

Wallingford called it "an oversight." He added, "Unfortunately, it affected real people and programs."

The Tailor Institute had received state funding for 10 years through the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED). The state aid funded workforce-development training for people with autism.

But in the 2017 session, the funding was moved into the Mental Health Department budget before it was axed entirely, Tracy and lawmakers said.

Tracy said Wednesday that the institute wants any future state funding for its programs to be budgeted through the DED.

But she said she recognizes that any amount of state funding is far from certain in the 2018 legislative session, which began Wednesday.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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