The Education Department has laid off roughly half of its staff, held up billions in funds, and canceled grants designed to aid schools in hiring mental health workers.

In July, a month before the court ruling that ensured services for young adults up to 22, the department began placing vocational rehabilitation applicants on a waitlist, while prioritizing services for those with the most severe disabilities. As of early September, nearly 260 people were on the list.

Now, parents, school administrators, and disability rights advocates worry the booming demand for services is on a crash course with grant and workforce cuts by the U.S. Education Department, which provides funding to states for such transition services. And they are attempting to rally the public to protect those programs.

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “facilitate the closure” of her department. Since then, the Education Department has laid off roughly half of its staff, held up billions in funds for K-12 schools through much of the summer, and canceled grants designed to aid schools in hiring mental health workers.

By Alex Sakariassen, KFF Health News

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