DECATUR - Some social services in Decatur cannot wait any longer for better funding news from the Illinois State Capitol.

Dove Inc. has laid off more than a third of its employees, and Macon Resources Inc. has laid off about 7 percent of its work force, both effective today. The Macon County Child Advocacy Center plans to cut half its staff as of Friday, and other agencies are bracing to follow suit, depending on what legislators do about funding human services.

At Dove, the layoffs mean the end of Fresh Start Catering and the job training it has provided to homeless people since February 2008, and the agency's diversity program, a longtime community education initiative that helped organize events such as a panel discussion at the Decatur Civic Center in February exploring disparities in health care.

It also means scaling back the Community Services Program working with neighborhood groups and the domestic violence program, although the 24-hour hot line and Decatur shelter will continue to operate.

Dove Executive Director Ray Batman said a $515,000 reduction in state funding forced him to lay off 19 people and implement a 10 percent pay cut for the remaining 36 employees, including himself. He said state government has yet to reimburse Dove for $25,000 in expenses it incurred while operating the city's CeaseFire anti-violence project past the June 30 budget deadline in 2007.

CeaseFire projects all over Illinois were later cut from the state budget for fiscal year 2008. Many have since been reactivated, including Decatur's, in time to face the budget knife once again for fiscal year 2010.

"The state contract we have goes into effect July 1, and we do not have the financial resources to wait and see what's going to happen," Batman said.

The situation was much the same at Macon Resources, where Executive Director Dreux Lewandowski said he had to eliminate 26 positions and lay off 14 people because of a loss of $880,000 in state funding, leaving the agency with 200 employees.

Gone are the agency's group care for adults and children, sheltered work program for people with developmental disabilities, support that allowed clients to live independently and a self-advocacy program.

"We'll have 136 people who won't get service tomorrow and 14 people who don't have jobs," Lewandowski said Tuesday. "I feel like crap, and I'm angry because this all could have been worked out a long time ago."

At the child advocacy center, the doors will remain open for now, but a children's therapist, case manager and part-time administrative assistant have been notified their last day is Thursday.

One funding threat the center faced during the state budget crisis is the loss of the center's contract with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, or 70 percent of the center's $126,450 annual budget. The other was a 30 percent cut to the center's $150,000 grant through the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority for the Macon County Safe from the Start project.

Project Coordinator Pam Burkhart said she, center Director Jean Moore and legal advocate Michelle Walker will continue to provide limited services. "All we can do is wait," Burkhart said. "We have a plan B, C and D, depending on what happens."

The center provides a safe, neutral environment for abused children to be interviewed and legal advocacy, including assistance in obtaining orders of protection and preparing to testify in court. It serves about 175 children a year in Macon and Piatt counties.

Diana Knaebe, president and CEO of Heritage Behavioral Health Center, said she's looking at pay cuts for her 230 employees and "substantial" layoffs because of a state contract that's more than $4 million less for the new fiscal year than it was for the year that ended Tuesday. "If I don't hear something positive by the end of the week, I'm going to have to act," she said.

Knaebe said Heritage served more than 5,000 people from July 1, 2008, through the end of May.

Robin Crowe, Chief Executive Officer of Webster-Cantrell Hall, said the Decatur child welfare agency may have to consider layoffs in a week or two if nothing changes, and Maj. Bob Gauthier of the Salvation Army said he only hopes he can avoid cutting staff through attrition and reassignment.

Gauthier said his agency will lose all $108,900 of the state funding it receives for its homeless prevention program and 27 percent, or $7,841, to provide emergency food and shelter.

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978