Arkansas officials have announced a new plan aimed at helping families who have been waiting for years for services through the state’s Community and Employment Support (CES) Waiver program. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Department of Human Services Secretary Janet Mann outlined a framework that will allow families on the CES waitlist to receive supportive living services, a benefit that has been one of the most requested by caregivers across the state.
The CES Waiver provides a wide range of assistance to Arkansans with intellectual or developmental disabilities, helping them live at home, participate in their communities, and work with support. While families on the waitlist already have access to most CES services, they do not currently receive supportive living services, which pay for in‑home care that allows individuals with disabilities to remain safely in their homes. State officials say this gap has created significant strain for families who have been deemed eligible but cannot yet enroll due to limited waiver slots.
The CES Waiver is capped at 8,233 participants, and more than 2,400 Arkansans remain on the waitlist. The state estimates that extending supportive living services to those families will cost about $17 million. The Governor’s office plans to work with legislators to determine how to fund the expansion both immediately and in the years ahead.
All families on the CES waitlist are automatically enrolled in the Provider-Led Arkansas Shared Savings Entity (PASSE), the managed-care model that coordinates services for individuals with complex needs. Under the new plan, PASSE organizations will begin offering supportive living services to waitlisted families no later than January 2027. The state also intends to include this change in its upcoming CES waiver renewal submission, which is scheduled for February. If approved, the renewed waiver would make supportive living services a permanent part of what families on the waitlist can receive once it goes into effect in August.
State leaders say the goal is to close the gap between families who are fully enrolled in the CES Waiver and those still waiting. Supportive living services are considered essential because they allow individuals with disabilities to remain at home rather than move into institutional care. Families have repeatedly told state officials that this type of help is their most urgent need.
The CES Waiver program supports people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in all major areas of daily life. It helps clients live independently, work with assistance from employment coaches, participate in community activities, and access medical and therapeutic services. It is available to Arkansans of all ages who meet eligibility requirements.
By expanding supportive living services, the state hopes to ease the burden on families who have waited years for help and to strengthen long-term support systems for Arkansans with disabilities. The administration says this effort is part of a broader push to improve access to services and create lasting solutions for families across the state.
