By Mindy Cervoni and Jeff Paterson | Mar 9, 2026
When lake-effect snow buries our streets, schools close and travel bans are issued. Most of Buffalo hunkers down and waits out the storm.
Direct support professionals (DSPs) don’t have that luxury.
They report for duty in whiteout conditions, navigate unplowed roads and cannot get home for days at a time. They stay to ensure that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are safe, fed and administered medication without interruption.
For the thousands of Western New Yorkers with disabilities, support is not optional and isn’t confined to a 9-to-5 schedule. It is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On holidays, during blizzards and in other emergencies. Medication schedules cannot be delayed because of snow. Essential equipment has to be monitored, and daily routines that provide stability and dignity must continue.
DSPs are Buffalo’s hidden essential workforce. They show up quietly and consistently, rarely seeking recognition. But dedication does not pay the bills.
As nonprofit leaders and board members of the Developmental Disabilities Alliance of Western New York and New York Disability Advocates, we see the strain on this workforce every day.
Inflation continues to erode already thin margins. NYDA internal survey data show provider costs have increased by double digits year-over-year for utilities, insurance, food and other expenses. Yet state reimbursement rates have not kept pace, leaving nonprofits to absorb costs while trying to maintain competitive wages.
A recent report from the state comptroller found that child care costs in New York are the second highest in the nation, rising nearly 18% in recent years. DSPs work nights, weekends, holidays and extended shifts during emergencies. During severe weather, many must secure last-minute child care at premium rates just to remain on the job.
The governor’s proposal to expand the Child and Dependent Care Credit in this year’s budget would offer meaningful relief to these workers.
Including a 2.7% targeted inflationary increase in the final state budget is essential to pay the bills and keep staff. Without it, providers cannot sustain services or offer wages that reflect the skill and commitment this work demands.
Mindy Cervoni is president and CEO of Community Services for Every1. Jeff Paterson is president and CEO of sasi.