The heart of New York State is its diversity, with communities like ours contributing to our great state’s cultural, social, and economic fabric. However, our communities are now under threat, thanks to an alarming decision by our governor to centralize the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
The rushed process aims to eliminate hundreds of local small businesses and outsource the program to a single company based in Georgia that has a concerning record and doesn’t know anything about New York or our communities. What’s worse, this plan could leave 250,000 sick, disabled, and chronically ill New Yorkers without care. In minority communities where trust in the system is already fraught and resources are already stretched thin, this decision is incomprehensible.
CDPAP is a lifeline for individuals requiring long-term care, such as the disabled or elderly, allowing them to choose family members or friends they trust to be their caregivers. For communities like ours, this program does more than provide care. It sustains families, allows the sick or disabled to remain in the comfort of their homes, and ensures that care is provided even if a person can’t speak English or has unique cultural needs.
For the West African community, many of whom rely on multilingual caregivers, accessing culturally sensitive services through local fiscal intermediaries has been crucial. These organizations know us, speak our languages, and are based in our communities. This familiarity builds trust, which is essential in navigating a complex healthcare bureaucracy for our largely immigrant populations. The sudden decision to centralize CDPAP disregards these realities, threatening to upend a resource we rely on.
The process by which New York State selected this single fiscal intermediary has raised significant concerns. Across the board, communities are confused by this shortsighted decision. The lack of robust community consultation — particularly with minority groups who disproportionately rely on CDPAP — raises questions about whose interests are being prioritized.
Disruptions will be catastrophic for those in our community who live paycheck-to-paycheck. Outsourcing the state’s CDPAP program could destabilize the lives of thousands of people who already face systemic barriers to accessing care.
Minority communities, particularly immigrant populations, will bear the brunt of this shift.
Language barriers are a prime example. In the West African community, many recent immigrants speak only their native languages, such as Wolof, Twi, or Fulani. The current fiscal intermediaries who facilitate CDPAP have gone to great lengths to ensure that interpreters and multilingual staff can assist with paperwork and training. A single, monolithic intermediary may not have the resources or the motivation to provide tailored services.
Minority-owned small businesses that facilitate CDPAP will also be devastated. Many of these businesses are run by members of our communities, and their loss will ripple far beyond CDPAP. These businesses employ local residents, reinvest in the community, and serve as a bridge between vulnerable populations and state systems. Their closure will widen the gap of mistrust and marginalization, leaving communities further isolated.
Other states that have attempted similar centralizations provide a cautionary tale. Pennsylvania contracted with Public Partnerships LLC, the same company New York plans to use, and was left with payment delays that caused caregivers to be unpaid for weeks. Vulnerable recipients experienced lapses in care, leading to avoidable health crises. If New York replicates these mistakes, the consequences will be magnified in a state as populous and diverse as ours.
The governor’s plan to outsource CDPAP will come at the expense of quality and accessibility for vulnerable populations. In communities already grappling with inequities, this trade-off is unacceptable.
New York’s leaders must recognize the implications of this decision. Before moving forward, policymakers must listen to the voices of their constituents, including minority and immigrant communities like ours. The process should prioritize transparency and community involvement to ensure no one is left behind.
If the state insists on moving forward with outsourcing CDPAP, it must require the chosen entity to demonstrate its capacity to meet the diverse needs of New York’s population. We must hold our elected leaders accountable. Decisions of this magnitude should not be made without robust oversight and community input. Minority communities must rally together to demand a seat at the table, ensuring our voices are heard and our needs are prioritized.
New York currently stands at a crossroads. The outsourcing of CDPAP administration threatens a system that has worked precisely because it is local, flexible, and attuned to our needs. If New York State proceeds without addressing the concerns of those most affected, it risks deepening inequities and eroding trust in government.
Our minority and immigrant communities deserve better. Caregiving is not just a service. It is a relationship built on trust, and by sidelining the very organizations that have fostered these relationships, the state risks replacing care with chaos. Let us hope that those in power will pause, listen, and act in the best interests of all New Yorkers.
Salim Drammeh is president of the Gambian Youth Organization and Adama Bah is executive director and founder of Afrikana.