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HARC Facts
Mission:
To help people with intellectual disability and their families enjoy lives of
quality, inclusion and dignity by providing support, education and advocacy.
History
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HARC was founded
in 1951 by parents and friends of children with intellectual disability when
the only help available to families was large institutional placement.
Children in these state-run institutions legally became wards of the state
and often lived long distances from their families. |
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Public education
was not mandated for children with disabilities. Local schools routinely
excluded children if they were not toilet trained, exhibited behavioral
issues, or simply could not "benefit" from an education. In 1978, after a
landmark Supreme Court case (PARC v. Pennsylvania, 1971) found such
discrimination illegal, Congress enacted a law, currently titled
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, mandating free and
appropriate education for children with disabilities from ages 3 to 21.
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Following in the footsteps of this landmark
"right to education" decision, the Supreme Court has since found that
people with intellectual disability who reside in
training schools and other congregate facilities have a right to habilitative treatment (Pennhurst v. Halderman, 1981) and the right
to live in the community if they so choose (Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W.,
1999). |
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As a result of
similar litigation, Connecticut closed Mansfield State Training School.
However, the State of Connecticut still operates large regional centers as
well as Southbury Training School. |
HARC’s Programs and
Services
HARC provides a full
array of programs and services for people with intellectual disabilities
and their families. Services begin at birth and continue throughout the life
span:
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Infant
Intervention - birth-to-three services, including evaluation and therapies |
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Family Support -
social services, respite care, advocacy, and case management. |
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Recreation - year
round evening and weekend programs for children and adults |
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Supported
Employment - collaborations with area businesses |
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Bulova Center -
employment development, wellness programs, physical and occupational
therapy, sensory integration, computer center |
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Residential
Services - group homes and supported living in condos and apartments |
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Behavioral Health
Services - specialized licensed out-patient mental health center |
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Elderly Enrichment
- volunteer and recreational activities for retired workers. |
Funding
HARC’s primary
source of funding is through fee-for-service contracts with the State of
Connecticut. This funding supports primarily residential, vocational, and
birth-to-three services. There are significant gaps between the cost of
providing services and the rates that are awarded by the State.
HARC is a
long-standing member agency of United
Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut., and we
receive gifts and grants from foundations and the corporate community. HARC
is also financed through generous contributions from our families and
friends through our annual fund efforts and by donations to The HARC
Foundation, our endowment fund.
Ways to Help HARC
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Annual
Fund/Membership financial support |
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HARC Foundation
support - through donations and participation on the Foundation Advisory
Board |
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Sponsorship/contribution to our major fundraising auction
and walkathon – and/or committee involvement |
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Volunteerism -
direct services or committee work |
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Advocacy |
Additional
Information
Official Name:
Harc, Inc.
900 Asylum Avenue
Hartford, CT
06105-1985
Switchboard: 860
218-6000
Fax: 860 541-1770
Chairman of the
Board: Seth Fierston
President/CEO: Dr.
Stephen Becker, 860 218-6111
Director of
Development: Jennifer Meligonis-DeJohn 860 218-6048
Program and Service
Inquiries: Dawn Allen, 860 218-6031
Annual Budget: 13
million
Service Area: North
Central Connecticut
People Served: 850
daily
Staff: 250
Web Address:
www.harc-ct.org |
