Caitlin Williams, 20, smiles while sitting with mother Rachel and sister Ellie, 14, at their home in Cumberland. Rachel said Caitlin, who has Down Syndrome and behavioral conditions that can result in self-harm, is thriving in a residential program for children with intellectual disabilities at the Morrison Center in Scarborough where she has been for 2 years. However, the residential program is closing, leaving families scrambling to find help. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Rachel Williams said her daughter Caitlin is thriving in a residential program for children and young adults with intellectual disabilities at the Morrison Center in Scarborough.

“A controlled, structured environment like what they have at the Morrison Center is what Caitlin thrives in,” said Williams, whose daughter has Down syndrome and behavioral conditions that can result in self-harm. After 2 ½ years in the Scarborough home, her daughter is now less likely to injure herself, Williams said.

But the residential program at the Morrison Center is closing soon, leaving Williams and other families scrambling to find help. Caitlin Williams, 20, is one of eight clients who now must find alternative living arrangements by July 8.

The Morrison Center is one of a number of similar programs that have closed in recent years, largely because of financial pressures and labor shortages. The state had about 900 residential beds for children about a decade ago, but that’s dwindled to about 250 beds, said Danielle Loring, executive director of the Morrison Center.

Rachel Williams sits with her daughter, Caitlin, 20, at their home in Cumberland. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Loring said the Morrison Center, which also offers day programs for children and adults, could no longer hire enough staff to keep the program going because the reimbursement rates paid by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are too low. Loring said reimbursement rates improved recently, but not enough to be able to attract and retain the staff needed to run the program.

“This is a systemic issue across the state,” Loring said. “These are amazing kids who deserve the best care. But unfortunately, from a financial perspective, this was unsustainable.”

The state’s reimbursement rates for residential and in-home services increased by 2.5% this year as part of a comprehensive rate reform by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services that was intended pay workers at 125% of the Maine minimum wage, or $17.70 an hour based on the current minimum wage of $14.15 per hour. But the rate makes it difficult to hire staff because many private employers offer more to compete for a limited pool of workers.

A Maine DHHS spokesperson said the agency was unable to respond to questions on Friday afternoon.

Williams won’t be able to replicate the environment at home and is concerned about what the change will mean for her daughter.

Caitlin Williams, 20, watches a cartoon on at her home in Cumberland. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Caitlin qualifies for in-home services through MaineCare, which is Maine’s version of Medicaid. But Williams said she doesn’t know how quickly she can start such services or how many hours of help her family will receive. In the meantime, she has quit her job as a preschool teacher because she couldn’t work and care for Caitlin at the same time.

Caitlin, as a 20-year-old, soon will age out of services for children and young adults but will qualify for MaineCare services for adults with intellectual disabilities.

As difficult as it will be for her family, Williams said it will be worse for other families and she worries some children will be sent out-of-state because there are no options in Maine.

Williams doesn’t blame the Morrison Center for not being able to keep the program running.

“They tried to stay open,” Williams said. “They did their best, but they don’t have the staff.”