Research & Reports

The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis 2026

The State of America’s Direct Support Workforce Crisis explores challenges and highlights the resulting impacts upon the direct support workforce and the continued ability of people with I/DD to access the services they require to live and thrive within their homes and communities.

Browse Key Findings

Key Findings

This year’s survey, which includes 524 responses from provider organizations operating across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, found that among respondents:

85% experienced moderate or severe staffing challenges in the past year.
55% were turning away new referrals due to inadequate staffing.
29% were discontinuing programs and services because of staffing challenges.
57% intended to delay the launch of new programs due to staffing challenges.
48% were considering further cuts to programs if recruitment and retention challenges failed to subside.
36% were experiencing more frequent reportable incidents due to staffing shortages.
59% delivered services in areas where few or no other options exist, explaining in part why 56% of those delivering case management services were struggling to connect people with available services.