The Arc Westchester

It all began in 1949 with a $3 ad that was placed in The New York Post by Ann Greenberg, desperate to find some playmates for her child with a developmental disability.

On April 17, 1949 a small group of equally frustrated mothers and fathers gathered at the Mount Vernon Public Library to discuss ways of helping their children. It was in this little gathering that the Westchester Association for the Help of Retarded Children (Westchester AHRC) was born.

A few months later the new Westchester group purchased the house at 975 Split Rock Road in Pelham; then fought and won, through court action, the right to have a school there.

In 1951 they opened the first parents’ cooperative day school for children in New York State. And from those modest beginnings, The Arc Westchester has grown to become the largest such agency in the county, serving over 2,000 children, teenagers and adults with developmental disabilities everyday.

At The Arc Westchester, we truly support the "arc" of an individual's life.

Beginning at our Children's School for Early Development, we provide Evaluations, Early Intervention, Preschool, and Family Support Groups. For our young adults, we provide resources for their Transition to Adulthood, and offer Recreational, Employment and Day Services programs. For our older participants, we also offer Residential and Senior supports.

This is just a snapshot of all the incredible programs and services we offer here at The Arc Westchester. We encourage you to visit our website: www.arcwestchester.org, to learn more!

We are pleased to announce that CQL (The Council on Quality and Leadership) has recertified our accreditation status. CQL is a leader in working with human service organizations to continuously define, measure, and improve the quality of life and quality of services for people with developmental disabilities. They are the gold standard in our industry.

The Arc Westchester Foundation’s mission is to increase public awareness and to raise financial support from the community, generating income through long-term investments, and making contributions to support services for people with developmental disabilities served by The Arc Westchester.