When Lisa’s daughter Emma started at Families Matter three years ago, Lisa’s biggest fear wasn’t about the programming or the activities. It was about consistency.
“At her previous program, staff turnover was constant,” Lisa explains. “Every few months, new faces. Emma would just start feeling comfortable with someone, and they’d be gone. She’d shut down all over again. I couldn’t take watching her go through that anymore.”
Three years later, Emma’s primary support staff—the people she sees every day—are the same people who welcomed her on day one. Her Assistant Director has been with Families Matter for over 15 years. The consistency Lisa desperately wanted? It’s not just possible at Families Matter—it’s normal.
In an industry experiencing a workforce crisis so severe that Maine is losing an estimated $1 billion annually in economic output, this kind of staffing stability seems impossible. But it’s not. And understanding why matters for every family navigating Maine’s disability services landscape.
At Families Matter, we’ve maintained exceptional staff stability for 30 years—not through luck, but through intentional choices about how we value and support our team. While we can’t solve the industry crisis alone, we can show families what’s possible when workforce stability becomes a core priority for organizations.
Understanding the Crisis: What Maine Families Are Facing
Let’s be honest about what’s happening in Maine’s direct care workforce. The challenges are real, documented, and affecting thousands of families across our state.
The Numbers Tell a Stark Story
Maine faces a perfect storm of workforce challenges. Our state has the oldest median age in the nation, with care needs growing as the population ages, while fewer workers enter the workforce. According to research from the Maine Center for Economic Policy, the direct care workforce shortage keeps around 8,000 Mainers out of the workforce and costs our state over $1 billion per year in lost economic activity.
The need is urgent and growing. Maine currently needs more than 2,300 additional full-time direct care professionals just to meet current demand—and that number will only increase as our population continues aging.
What This Means for Families
The workforce crisis isn’t abstract—it creates real challenges that families face daily.
Service disruptions happen when authorized services can’t actually be delivered because providers lack staff. Programs operate with reduced ratios or cancel activities due to insufficient coverage. Some agencies have stopped accepting new clients altogether, while others have closed locations or reduced capacity.
Constant turnover means new faces every few weeks or months, loss of relationship-building and trust, and individuals with I/DD having to adjust repeatedly to new staff who don’t know their preferences, communication styles, or needs.
Family stress compounds when services that seemed stable suddenly become uncertain. Last-minute cancellations due to call-outs create chaos. Worry about program closures keeps families up at night. And when providers do close, finding alternatives becomes increasingly difficult.
Quality concerns emerge when less experienced staff provide care due to high turnover, training for new hires gets rushed, and staff stretched thin across too many individuals can’t provide the individualized attention that makes real difference.
This is the reality for many Maine families navigating disability services. But it doesn’t have to be your reality.
Why Families Matter Is Different: Building Stability Through Intention
At Families Matter, our staffing reality looks dramatically different from industry norms. This isn’t luck or coincidence—it’s the result of 30 years of intentional choices about how we structure our organization and value our team.
The Numbers That Set Us Apart
Staff tenure that’s exceptional: Multiple team members have served 10-20+ years with the organization. Assistant Directors bring over a decade of experience at their locations. Voluntary turnover is almost nonexistent. When positions do open, internal promotions are common because people build careers here rather than just take jobs.
The 3:1 ratio advantage: Our 3:1 staff-to-individual ratio exceeds Maine’s requirement and provides significantly more individualized attention than the industry standard. More staff means less burnout, genuine personalized attention, team support rather than isolated workers, and realistic expectations about what can be accomplished each day.
A culture of recognition: We don’t just appreciate our staff once a year—we celebrate contributions regularly, invest in employee success and professional development, and create a family-like atmosphere that extends to our entire team.
What This Stability Means Practically
For the individuals we serve, the same familiar faces greet them daily. Staff know their preferences, communication styles, and what triggers anxiety or joy. Trusted relationships deepen over the years rather than resetting every few months. This confidence and comfort enable real growth.
For families: Peace of mind about consistency allows you to plan without constant worry. Staff who know your loved one’s history mean you don’t have to repeatedly explain your loved one’s needs and preferences. You can trust in program stability rather than wondering if services will suddenly disappear.
For programming: Institutional knowledge gets preserved and refined rather than lost with each turnover. Our experienced team understands what works and can try new approaches from a stable foundation. Smooth operations come from people who know, trust, and work together seamlessly.
The Families Matter Approach: What Actually Works
How do we maintain exceptional stability when the entire industry struggles? It’s not a single magic solution—it’s a comprehensive approach built on respect, realistic expectations, and a genuine commitment to our team.
Compensation and Benefits That Show Respect
We believe the work our staff does has tremendous value. Thirty years of consistent operation means our staff can count on reliable paychecks, stable benefits, and the possibility of building long-term careers rather than just finding temporary work.
Our organizational stability allows us to invest in our team in ways that support retention and job satisfaction—and our staff’s tenure speaks to that commitment.
Manageable Workload Through Better Ratios
The 3:1 staff-to-individual ratio isn’t just a number—it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.
Better ratios mean staff have time for relationships rather than just supervision. They can focus on quality interactions instead of managing crisis after crisis. Burnout prevention becomes realistic when expectations match what’s actually achievable. Team support replaces the isolation that comes from being the only staff member managing four or five individuals.
Many programs operate at 1:4 or even 1:5 ratios, which means one staff member manages four to five individuals simultaneously. The focus shifts from enabling growth to simply managing safety. Staff feel constantly overwhelmed, and individualized attention becomes impossible.
Better ratios cost more upfront but save money long-term through reduced turnover, lower recruitment and training costs, higher-quality care with fewer incidents, and program stability that retains families and builds a positive reputation.
Leadership That Values Staff
Our leadership team—from organizational leadership to Assistant Directors at each location—operates on one fundamental principle: staff is our most valuable asset, and we demonstrate that belief through action.
Regular recognition happens throughout the year, not just at annual events. We celebrate work anniversaries and achievements publicly. Staff receive genuine thanks for their contributions. And we invest in their success through comprehensive training, mentorship for new team members, professional development opportunities, and clear pathways for growth.
Meaningful Work in a Supportive Environment
Direct care work is inherently meaningful—but the environment can either amplify or diminish that meaning.
At Families Matter, staff experience a visible impact daily. They see individuals grow and achieve goals. They witness friendships develop. They celebrate Special Olympics victories. They know their work makes a real difference in people’s lives.
They also have autonomy and creativity to develop activities based on individual interests, freedom to make good decisions, opportunity to try new approaches, and a voice in program development.
Perhaps most importantly, they build genuine relationships over years, not months. They watch individuals’ life journeys unfold. They become part of individuals’ extended families. They connect to something larger than just a job.
What Families Should Look For: Questions That Matter
When evaluating any provider—including Families Matter—families deserve to understand workforce stability. Here are questions and observations that can help.
Signs of Workforce Stability:
✅ Same staff present during multiple visits
✅ Staff who can share specific stories about individuals they support
✅ Team members with multiple years of experience
✅ Low staff-to-individual ratios
✅ Staff who seem engaged and positive about their work
✅ Program stability over many years
✅ Families who’ve remained with the program long-term
Questions Worth Asking:
- What’s your typical staff tenure?
- What’s your staff-to-individual ratio?
- What does your training process look like?
- How do you support staff professional development?
- Can I meet some of your longer-term staff members?
- How has your programming remained consistent over time?
What Inconsistency Might Look Like:
Rather than red flags, watch for patterns: frequent new faces during visits, difficulty getting consistent information about individuals’ preferences, program cancellations due to staffing, or recent changes in services offered.
These aren’t necessarily dealbreakers—many programs are working hard to navigate industry challenges—but they’re worth discussing openly with any provider you’re considering.
The Industry Is Working on Solutions
Maine recognizes the direct care workforce crisis and is pursuing multiple solutions. The Department of Health and Human Services launched a new Core Curriculum in 2025 to improve training and professionalization. The “Careers with Purpose” marketing campaign, launched in July 2024, aims to attract new workers to the field. Legislative efforts continue to increase MaineCare reimbursement rates to help providers offer competitive wages.
These initiatives matter and deserve support. But they won’t solve the crisis overnight. Demographic challenges will persist. Workforce development takes time. And even with better funding, organizational culture and leadership matter tremendously for retention.
This is why choosing a provider with proven stability matters today, not just when future solutions finally take effect.
The Bottom Line: Consistency Enables Everything Else
For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, consistency enables growth. When the same supportive people show up day after day, trust develops. Skills build. Confidence emerges. Real progress becomes possible.
For families, consistency provides peace of mind. You can plan for the future rather than constantly managing crisis. You can trust that the support your loved one needs will actually be there—not just authorized on paper, but delivered by people who genuinely know and care about them.
Maine’s direct care workforce crisis is real, well-documented, and affecting thousands of families. But solutions exist. Organizations that prioritize staff stability, invest in their teams, and build cultures of respect and recognition can maintain exceptional workforce consistency even during industry-wide challenges.
At Families Matter, we’ve proven this approach works for 30 years. The same stability that benefits our staff creates the foundation for everything we provide to the individuals and families we serve.
Ready to Experience the Difference Stability Makes?
Questions about how Families Matter maintains staff consistency? Our Assistant Directors can discuss our approach and introduce you to team members who’ve been part of our family for years.
- Hallowell: Jane Lerette – 207-621-1023
- Gardiner: Erica Poulin – 207-203-0004
- Skowhegan: Melinda King – 207-621-2992
- Waterville: Debra Wells – 207-616-3284
Visit us to see stability in action. Meet staff who’ve been here for over a decade. Experience the difference that consistency makes when the same caring people show up, day after day, year after year.
Because in disability services, consistency isn’t just nice to have—it’s the foundation that makes everything else possible.