Islip to end state deal for adult day care

As part of an effort to cure the town's budget shortfall, Islip officials plan to terminate a contract with the state to provide an adult day care program for people with developmental disabilities.

Town officials said this year five people are enrolled in the program, which is run by one full-time and three part-time employees. It was budgeted to cost the town $134,000 this year, but had cost more in prior years when more clients used the program, said Carol Charchalis, the town's acting commissioner for human services.

Charchalis and deputy town supervisor Trish Bergin Weichbrodt met with county and state officials in recent weeks to prepare for ending the contract -- once alternative arrangements were made for the clients.

The program provides daytime activities for the developmentally disabled clients, aged 45 and older.

"We are not equipped to handle medically-supervised care, which is increasingly the kind of care clients do need as they age," Charchalis said, adding she was confident the five clients would be placed in a similar program. The clients would be covered by Medicaid.

All but one part-time employee would be moved to other town positions, she said.

At a board meeting Tuesday, town council members voted to end the contract, by mutual consent with the state, due to what was described as "minimal participant enrollment." The contract had been slated to run through Dec. 31, 2014.

Bergin said given the town's financial situation -- officials say they are facing a $26 million shortfall -- and the program's minimal use, continuing to run it "just is not fiscally responsible."