THE ARC OF THE CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE REGION - HEADQUARTERS

With offices in Annapolis, Glen Burnie and Easton, Maryland, The Arc of the Central Chesapeake Region supports families and individuals in Anne Arundel, Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties. The Arc is a growing membership-supported organization that provides advocacy and supportive services to well over 1200 individuals and families annually. The Arc of the Central Chesapeake Region's mission is to promote respect, create opportunities and advocate for equal rights for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Arc believes that everyone can be an active, productive, valued member of his or her community. Qualified, trained support staff provides specialized assistance tailored to an individual's needs - anywhere from a few hours a week to 24-hour-a-day supervision. The Arc maintains 66 homes and apartments for over 127 people with developmental disabilities.

We also assist people in finding roommates, whether or not the individual is receiving services from The Arc. In addition, The Arc helps individuals find apartments or homes of their own. To make community living more affordable, The Arc helps in applying for and gaining access to all government benefits including rent subsides, food stamps, SSI, energy assistance, Medicare and Medicaid. We believe that children, regardless of their disabilities, belong with their families and should be able to play and socialize with children in their communities. Our goal is to provide high quality, individualized, residential services to children with intense medical needs. We encourage family support groups such as the Down Syndrome Connection and the Anne Arundel Chapter of the Autism Society. These types of groups encourage and empower families of children and adults with similar developmental disabilities. They are also available as a knowledgeable shoulder to lean on for parents of newborns with disabilities. Opening Doors: A Home of Your Own Project enables individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities to rent or own homes, ultimately achieving independent living in the community of their choice. Our primary goal is the availability of statewide opportunities for "self-controlled and self-determined housing." The Arc is working with housing specialists in the County to find homes, assist in securing funding and provide homeownership training. In an effort to seek new methods and techniques to address the overwhelming unemployment and under-employment issues that effect people with developmental disabilities, The Arc and partners have created the MicroEnterprise program. By tailoring the job to the abilities of the individual, The Arc has opened the door to business ownership for the individuals we serve.