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Cuts and Changes at ACL raise alarms

Yesterday morning, reduction in force (RIF) notices went out across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), laying off half of the staff at the Administration of Community Living (ACL). Today NANASP and Meals on Wheels America released a joint statement expressing urgent concerns about the loss of legacy knowledge, expertise and access to services resulting from yesterday’s significant termination of ACL staff and dissolution of offices critical to older Americans. Read our full statement

Reports indicate the layoffs include all ACL regional field office staff, as well as staff in offices that support ACL’s policy, evaluation, communications, and grants, and budgets. “The reductions imposed on ACL should be suspended to allow for a full accounting of the impact they may have on key deliveries of service such as nutrition,” our executive director, Bob Blancato, told STAT news.

These layoffs are part of a larger HHS reorganization released last week that includes, “the critical programs within ACL that support older adults and people of all ages with disabilities will be split across the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).