Providing a Path Forward: Unrelenting Leadership for Unprecedented Times

At the beginning of the year, before the pandemic reached our shores, cracks in our system left us vulnerable. The direct support workforce crisis was roaring on, and far too many provider organizations were on the brink of financial collapse.

And then, the pandemic hit.

COVID-19 upended the lives of the people we support and the ways we support them. Day programs shuttered, supported employment screeched to a halt, and direct support professionals began to weigh how they could afford to put themselves and their families at risk while keeping people safe in their homes—where physical distancing is all but impossible.

Like they always do, providers rose to the occasion, as did their national association.

Amid unprecedented times, this community has had an unprecedented impact. In the earliest days of the pandemic, ANCOR and its members sprang into action, advocating for—and securing, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars—federal funding to support providers to weather the storm. We also secured crucial regulatory flexibility that enabled providers to adapt under the toughest of circumstances, and together we engineered creative solutions to some of the pandemic’s most pressing problems.

Our work continues, and though the future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the ability of providers to keep people safe under an extremely challenging set of circumstances is a testament to the resilience and commitment of the ANCOR community. Whether you’ve been an ANCOR member for years and are renewing your commitment in 2021, or you’re contemplating joining for the first time, we’re so glad to have you as part of this incredible community.