I am a mom. It’s not that I don’t like to talk about my kids, but they are adults. However, if you follow my Facebook page, you may have read about the weekly picnics with my daughter. It’s a favorite adventure for us.
If you follow us there you may have noticed that Maddie has Down Syndrome. I don’t talk about that very often. It is just who Maddie is and I truly believe that she has taught me more about life than we have taught her. We are a family that incorporates the tenants of Equity in our everyday life. But, that’s a discussion for another blog.
I have the Star Tribune delivered to my inbox every morning. Some mornings I read it and some days it piles up in my inbox to read later and some days I realize that I must delete it without reading it.
Last Tuesday, I actually sat down with my morning cup of coffee, read through my Star Tribune and I came across this article. BridgesMN license revoked
Maddie lives at one of the 6 BridgesMN homes located in Scott County. The first time I was made aware of the revocation was on Tuesday, when I happened to read about it in the Star Tribune, on a day that I decided to read the paper instead of deleting it from my inbox. Since Tuesday, we have not been formally notified by Bridges of the license revocation and possible closure of her home that will potentially happen soon. What concerns me is that we would still not know. I question if the guardians of the others are aware of the potential changes looming in their loved one’s life.
On Tuesday, I reached out to BridgesMN and Scott County DHS. BridgesMN has indicated that they are filing an appeal with the State of Minnesota by July 12th. According to DHS, if the appeal is denied by the State of Minnesota, the residence may be closed shortly after the 12th. The State could potentially take over the management of the residences.
I have notified BridgesMN that we will have an emergency meeting on Tuesday, July 5 with the following people: Blake Elliot, Owner of BridgesMN, Jake the regional supervisor, the supervisor of Maddie’s residence as well as Scott County DHS. We will be talking about BridgesMN license status, future of Maddie’s home, Maddie’s care plan, future meeting with other guardians.
We brought Maddie home until we meet with BridgesMN and Scott County DHS. Fortunately, we can do that for her, but I am assuming that this won’t be an option for others.
Although Scott County Health and Human Services provides mandated services, the Scott County Commission does provide oversight. My firsthand knowledge of the impact of DHS services on our neighbors will be beneficial for our County community.
