Prediction of cost, rates, and staffing by provider and client characteristics

Cost of services to individuals with developmental disabilities in state institutions and private community agencies in South Dakota was related to provider agency characteristics, funding source, and client characteristics. Significant relations were found between cost and funding programs, total number of clients served by an agency, number of people in residential facilities, city population, and county unemployment rate. Funding source differences indicated that state-owned institutions were the most costly and community services funded solely by state funds were least costly. Among community-based agencies, cost bore a U-shaped relation to agency size, with intermediate-sized agencies being the least costly and large or small agencies being more costly.