Dozens of people rallied Thursday outside the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities in Thiells to call for changes at group homes.

They are asking for regulation clarity, and for the group home residents to be able to go home for visits if they are physically and medically able.

Right now families can only have visits outside their loved one's residence with masks on.

"It's been emotional, sometimes you're awake at night and you can't sleep, you're wondering what he's doing. It's emotional, you want to be with him. You want to be able to support him and because he's nonverbal, I can only be guessing what he's thinking," says co-organizer Susan Havko.

The calls are spanning across New York as families are planning to rally at the state Capitol on Monday.

The OPWDD said it continues to work closely with the Department of Health on reopening steps that will safely include home visits and community outings and that take into account the safety of not just each individual, but also their housemates and staff.