Arkansas Governor Sanders Addresses Growing Waitlist Concerns for Children with Disabilities

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is responding to intensified public scrutiny and legislative attention surrounding the state’s Community and Employment Supports (CES) Medicaid Waiver program. Following a series of investigative reports broadcast by Little Rock television station THV11, families and disability rights advocates have voiced urgent concern over a persistent backlog that has left more than 2,000 Arkansans—including upwards of 1,400 children with developmental disabilities—waiting years for specialized home and community-based care.

The CES Waiver is designed to provide Medicaid-funded supports, including personal care assistance, behavioral therapy, respite care, and specialized medical equipment, allowing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to remain in their homes rather than residing in institutional facilities. However, Department of Human Services (DHS) records and family testimonies indicate that eligible children often languish on the waiting list for between two and ten years. While the state’s Provider-led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE) system offers managed care coordination for higher-tier medical needs, parents report significant administrative hurdles in obtaining interim support while awaiting full waiver placement.

In response to mounting public inquiries and emotional appeals from parents such as Paige McCammon and Blake Landers, Governor Sanders took the step of directly contacting affected families to hear their firsthand experiences navigating the state’s healthcare bureaucracy. In an official statement provided to media outlets, the Governor’s Office described the backlog as heartbreaking for children and their caregivers, stating that the administration is engaged in active discussions with both federal and local partners to streamline the CES and PASSE programs and accelerate the delivery of high-quality care to disabled Arkansans.

The waitlist issue has intersected with broader fiscal and political debates at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. Healthcare advocates and legislative leaders have pointed to the state’s multi-hundred-million-dollar budget surplus, questioning why additional state revenue has not been allocated to fund additional waiver slots or increase provider reimbursement rates. DHS officials have maintained that system reforms require careful coordination with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and sustainable workforce recruitment, as a shortage of qualified direct care professionals statewide presents a substantial barrier to immediate service expansion.

As Arkansas policymakers prepare for upcoming legislative budget hearings, family advocacy networks are organizing grassroots campaigns to ensure disability service funding remains a top legislative priority. The administration’s dialogue with impacted families represents an acknowledgment of systemic bottlenecks, with disability advocacy organizations calling for concrete timelines, transparent waitlist tracking, and dedicated appropriations to eliminate the multi-year delay for vulnerable children across Arkansas.