Meaningful Day Program Updates

Dear Providers,

I hope you’re finding time to enjoy the summer and take in some much-needed sunshine. It has been a busy and intense month at AFHC, filled with hearings, strategy meetings, and legal action as we continue fighting for you and the residents you serve.

Update on the Meaningful Day Program

As many of you know, the state’s elimination of the Meaningful Day Program is scheduled to take effect July 1. Let us be clear: our fight is not over.

On June 18, AFHC engaged in a six-hour mediation session with DSHS and the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to demand remedies. We came to the table prepared with proposals ranging from full program restoration based on statutory violations to a six-month phase-out plan. Yet the state’s repeated response was predictable: “There is no money in the budget.”

Despite our good-faith efforts, the state refused to offer any compromise. Mediation is ongoing, and we are not backing down.

Legal Action: We Took Immediate Steps

Knowing the risk of program elimination, AFHC proactively filed two lawsuits to protect your rights and preserve services. In parallel, we secured an emergency hearing in Superior Court on June 26 to seek a preliminary injunction.

Our legal team, led by Ed Younglove, presented a powerful case that the Governor and Legislature violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and state statutes. The judge acknowledged and agreed with much of our argument. She expressed clear concern about the state’s actions and noted significant merit to our claims.

However, she ultimately ruled that she lacked the authority to overturn decisions made by the legislative and executive branches. Although she sympathized with our position, she also declined to revert to the 2023–2025 CBA rates, recognizing the serious financial consequences that change would impose on providers who were not part of the Meaningful Day Program. We came very close to prevailing. The ruling was not a rejection of our arguments, but a reflection of the court’s limited authority.

Where We Go from Here

We are already preparing an appeal once the summary judgment is issued. Our legal efforts continue on multiple fronts:

• Appealing the denial of the preliminary injunction
• Pursuing our broader lawsuit for declaratory relief
• Pressing forward on unfair labor practice and statutory violation claims

While the program is currently scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2025, we remain optimistic. Through continued legal action, ongoing mediation, and persistent demands to bargain, we believe there is a strong path forward.

This fight is far from over, and neither are we.

Thank you for your strength, your patience, and your trust. We are standing with you, every step of the way.

With solidarity,

Hope C. Reffett

Interim Executive Director

Adult Family Home Council