In 2025, the federal policy environment grew more constrained. Budget negotiations, shifting priorities, and uncertainty around state-administered services put pressure on programs serving people with disabilities, workforce systems, housing, and education.
For a national network deeply reliant on Medicaid and federal funding, advocacy remains an operational necessity. Easterseals' government relations work unites teams across the organization to protect the policies and funding structures Affiliates depend on to serve their communities.
Protecting the Policies That Sustain Services
Policy shapes possibility.
Through coordinated federal monitoring, coalition engagement, and direct policymaker outreach, Easterseals helped preserve or secure more than $151 million in federal program funding in 2025, while maintaining stability across core programs such as IDEA, SCSEP, and Medicaid.
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Not every outcome was favorable—funding for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) was reduced heading into 2026—but early intelligence and shared response strategies allowed Affiliates to anticipate impacts and reduce disruption at the state level. In a constrained fiscal environment, maintaining or increasing funding across multiple programs represents a material outcome for the network.
Just as important, national advocacy reduced fragmentation across states by providing Affiliates with a unified federal strategy, shared policy analysis, and coordinated guidance. By centralizing federal engagement and translating policy developments into actionable intelligence, Easterseals strengthened the network’s collective capacity to respond—ensuring that individual Affiliates did not have to build standalone government relations infrastructure to protect the services, workforce investments, and civil rights protections their constituents rely on.
Shared Advocacy Platforms, Tools, & Support
In 2025, the National Office expanded shared advocacy infrastructure so Affiliates could engage policymakers with coordinated strategy, consistent messaging, and expert support—without needing standalone government relations capacity.
National investments provided Affiliates with centralized tools and direct support to engage effectively at the federal and state levels, including:
- EastersealsAction.com, a centralized hub for action alerts, policy statements, and network‑wide advocacy efforts
- An Advocacy Toolkit and one‑pagers for Affiliate use
- The Government Relations Affiliate Resource Center, housing advocacy materials, recordings, and policy updates
- State‑level action alerts developed on behalf of Affiliates
- Five national webinars in 2025 on priority policy issues
- Access to outside policy experts through the Government Relations Workgroup
- Opportunities for Affiliate leaders to participate in virtual congressional meetings
Affiliates gain access to coordinated advocacy strategy, policy intelligence, and federal engagement capacity without maintaining dedicated in‑house government relations staff. This strengthens funding protection, increases influence, and reduces policy risk across states.
