Troubling findings from ANCOR's sixth annual survey of the ways community-based providers of disability services are feeling the impact of the direct support workforce crisis.
In August and September 2025, ANCOR surveyed 469 community-based providers of intellectual and developmental disabilities services across 48 states and the District of Columbia. The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2025 reveals that:
88% of providers experienced moderate or severe staffing shortages in the past year, a slight improvement from 90% in 2024.
62% of providers reported turning away new referrals due to inadequate staffing, down from 69% in 2024 but still well above pre-pandemic levels.
29% of providers were discontinuing programs or service offerings due to staffing shortages, a modest improvement from 39% last year.
59% of providers intended to delay the launch of new programs, down from 64% in 2024.
52% of providers were considering further cuts to programs if recruitment and retention challenges failed to subside, a dramatic increase from 34% in 2024, representing the single greatest year-over-year increase.
56% of providers reported their organization delivers services in an area where few or no other providers offer similar services, comparable to 57% in 2024.
59% of providers who offer case management services struggled to connect people with services due to a lack of available providers, an increase from 57% in 2024.
36% of providers were experiencing more frequent reportable incidents, which survey findings indicate are contributed to by high turnover and vacancy rates, down from 45% in 2024.
62% of providers indicated they were struggling to achieve quality standards due to staffing challenges.
