Turnover among direct support professionals fell below 40% in 2023, the first time since data collection began in 2014. The finding comes from a Case for Inclusion data snapshot released in January 2026 by United Cerebral Palsy and ANCOR, which Disability Scoop reported on Jan. 27.
Wages, relief funds and waiting lists
The report also found average DSP wages rose to $17.20 an hour and vacancies declined. It credits $26.3 billion from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act that was set aside for DSP recruitment and retention. That money had to be spent by March 2025, and Congress has since approved deep Medicaid cuts. Meanwhile, more than 550,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were on state waiting or interest lists for home and community-based services, up 8% from the year before. ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill called the recent improvements "modest" and said they came from time-limited investments.
Why this matters for providers and DSPs
The data offer evidence that targeted funding does stabilize the workforce. Providers and advocates can use it to argue that cutting funding now risks undoing progress that took years to build.