Budget Cuts Could Disable Cumberland County Assistance Program

State budget cuts have frozen funds to the Community Alternative Program, or CAP. The service provides disabled adults personal aid in the home.

CAP has 127 active clients in Cumberland County, and has 221 people on a waiting list.

Without the program, many disabled adults are placed in nursing homes. In many cases, a family member is forced to give up work to become the primary caregiver.

"The budget is so bad at this point that they really can't tell us what's going happen," said Audry Brown, a CAP case manager.

CAP is covered by Medicaid, but is not a federally mandated program. The program's manager said there is no telling when or if funding will resume.