Rotary Happenings: LARC has made a difference in many lives
Did you know that in this country, and many countries around the world, that up until the 1950s, if you had an IQ of 50 and below, medical and educational experts believed that these individuals should be institutionalized?
Parents were pressured on many levels to send their children to public institutions away from their families and that they would be there for the rest of their lives. They were considered uneducable and untrainable, basically non-contributors to society.
These were the first facts presented to our club members last Friday morning by LARC Executive Director Roger Bradley. LARC was founded in 1954, 62 years ago, by a small group of parents in our community to bring together parents and guardians of mentally challenged children and adults who were interested in exploring other options for their loved ones.
Roger told his own family’s personal connection with LARC. In 1955 his sister, Cathy, was on a waiting list for placement in an institution. His parents made a decision to keep her home with them. Roger’s father was a physician and many of his colleagues were not supportive of that decision. His parents needed support and became active members in LARC, along with family members.
Today those dreams of the early pioneers of LARC have expanded along with like-minded organizations and have worked for realizing opportunities for the developmentally disabled and mentally challenged.
In 1975-Public Law 94-142 was enacted by the U.S. Congress. This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education and one free meal a day for children with physical and mental disabilities. Public schools were required to evaluate handicapped children and create an educational plan with parent input that would emulate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students. Public school education programs are in place and continue until the children age-out of the system. LARC will then provide a plethora of programing activities to this special population: adult day activity training, supported employment, supported living, residential homes, and companion services.
Finding the right activities for LARC clients is done on an individual basis. Self-care skills and vocational training is in the forefront of developing skills at LARC. Training for job placement inside, or outside the organization gives clients a chance to take pride in their work and contribute to their financial well-being. A functioning two-part woodworking shop is used to produce and assemble products for production contracts with many businesses in our community and statewide. The woodshop produces wooden survey stakes, pallets, decorative fences and more. Assembling, collating, packaging, and preparing mailings are performed by LARC for business clients. Those working in these areas receive a piece rate income for work performed and generate approximately 15 to 20 percent of LARC’s general operating funds annually. Other training programs assists participants in landing entry level employment in community business outside the LARC facilities.
Funding sources for LARC: 60 percent federal and state government support, 20 percent local government, 10 percent United Way, and 10 percent from product sales, fundraisers, and services provided. Labor cost at LARC is 90 percent of the overall budget, most monies going to services for individuals such as adult activities training, supported employment, supported living, residential homes, and companion services. Community residential programs run 365 days a year. Ten percent is spent on administration costs.
Another aspect of LARC is the recognition of the strain on the families and guardians of LARC participates. Elderly parents are sometimes caring for their adult children well into their 90s and worry about what happens when they can no longer care for these adults with disabilities. LARC provides the opportunity for help in these areas.
For more information about LARC, check out their website, larcleecounty.org.
Sanibel-Captiva Rotary meets at 7 a.m., Friday mornings at the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, Sanibel. Guests are always welcomed.