November 20, 2009

Dear Friend of Dream House,

I would like to ask for your assistance in a time sensitive matter of great importance.

You may be aware that during the 2008 Georgia legislative session, a new state licensure was created to allow for Children’s Transition Care Centers or CTCCs (House Bill 984). This licensure was established because Georgia legislators recognized the great need to assist families in the complex care and coordination of resources necessary to support the transition pathway back home for these children and avoid institutional care.

Unfortunately, however, Georgia’s Medicaid Administrators are now trying to prevent CTCC programs and services, mandated under this new licensure, from being included and reimbursed under the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) in Medicaid. Thus, Georgia’s most vulnerable children, many of whom are in the custody of the State, will be denied access to these essential CTCC programs and services.

Fortunately, you can be a voice for these children.

I am sharing a letter that you can use to contact nine State of Georgia officials who need to hear from tax paying citizens by December 9, 2009.  Will you also send the letter to your district Representative or Senator if they are not on this list? Additionally, you can double the impact by forwarding this email to at least one friend asking them to do the same.

I am very grateful that you have supported us on this journey to create the Dream House organization and to launch the ground-breaking Family for Keeps® Transition Care Program that provides new pathways for Georgia’s medically fragile children and their families. This is your opportunity to be an advocate for these children. Tell the Georgia State Administrators to do a better job of using tax payer dollars, and insist that they be accountable for the children in their custody by providing them with more efficient and effective resources, now available to them via CTCC.

The Family for Keeps® Transition Care Home in Lilburn, Georgia is now open, operating under the first and only CTCC license in the nation. In good faith, Dream House began accepting admissions in November while in active contract negotiations with Medicaid, Georgia’s Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), and multiple Care Management Organizations (CMOs).

Due to this unexpected delay in contract finalization for subsequent reimbursement of Dream House CTCC programs and services, we need an immediate additional cash infusion of $200,000 to sustain operations through March 2010, and keep the Lilburn Transition Care Home open for the children in our care. Together we have worked too hard and invested too much over the last eight years to get to this point, only to suspend operations at the Transition Care Home, yet again.

We would greatly appreciate your tax-deductible donation.

Now, as always, you are in our prayers of thanksgiving.