Where we have come from…
This snapshot of where we have come from is provided from excerpts of newspaper articles and letters provided by families and friends of the individuals we serve. The record they so carefully kept give us insight to their efforts create services for their sons and daughters. The original language is used to convey the sense of time. We are truly indebted to these families for providing the foundation they worked so hard to establish.
1950s
1953 Thanksgiving Week is proclaimed to be Retarded Children’s Week by Governor Frank J. Lausche. The tradition is maintained throughout the 60s.
Sunny Lane
“Sunny Lane was first organized in 1953 by citizens recognizing the need for such a school in the community. The original class consisting of 12 children met in the American Legion Hall. The American Legion financed this housing and the Kiwanis underwrote the initial operating cost.
By 1954 increased enrollment necessitated the forming of two classes. Obtaining from the (Willoughby Eastlake) Board of Education a 10 year lease, present building at 4788 Chandler Rd. was obtained. Transportation of the children is also furnished by the Board of Education. Here, too, we are indeed fortunate. One of our classes I partially funded through direct aid from the state. The school also receives additional support from local Community Fund, civic, service and other community contributions to help meet financial needs. There is also a small yearly tuition fee.
Our school is administered by a Board of Directors consisting of nine members. Each director is elected at an annual meeting for a term of three years. One member of the board is appointed executive director.”
Excerpted from a letter by Mrs. H Hunter to the News Herald 1955
1954 Mrs. Helen Yoemen opens the School for the Retarded Children behind the Congregational Church in Painesville.
Lake County Council for the Retarded Child was formed in the fall of 1954 by parents in the Willoughby area. The Council was affiliated with the International Council for Exceptional Children and the Association for Retarded Children.
April 1957 Lake County Council for the Retarded Child holds a fundraising dinner dance. Supported by most civic and business organizations in western Lake County. Over 800 attended the event. The proceeds are used to fund a Workshop at Sunny Lane School.
1960s
1963 President John F. Kennedy signed into Law the Federal Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act.
November -.35-mil Countywide 2 year levy passes to fund ‘a school for retarded children’
1965 September - Lake County’s Broadmoor School opens. The 14 room school built with $360,000 levy has 86 children enrolled between the ages of 6 and 17. Children are taught basic crafts, simple housekeeping and some basic reading, writing and arithmetic so that they are ready for the sheltered workshop by the time they are 18. Take from “Retarded Children Helped” News Herald.
November – the old post office on East Third Street in Willoughby is turned over to the Lake County Board of Mental Retardation to allow the Board to move the sheltered workshop housed in Broadmoor School into the old Willoughby post office. Telegraph
October 25, 1967 County Boards of Mental Retardation were established under the provisions of senate bill 169 as sponsored by State Senator Harry Armstrong of Logan, Ohio.
November 1968 2-mil five year building levy passes to build a comprehensive center for retarded children.
1970s
May 1970 “The State of Ohio will contribute $2.1 Million to be matched by local funds to bring about a $4.2 million building program of a mental retardation center.” Excerpted from Plain Dealer
June 1970 “The Lake County Board of Commissioners purchases 67 acres running off Deepwood Blvd. from Johnny Cake Ridge Rd to IS 90 at the request of Lake County Mental Retardation Board. Plans include a diagnostic center for both young and old, a large training center for sheltered industries and living quarters for about 64 adults.” Excerpted from the Mentor Monitor July 1970
August 1970 “ Two children from Broadmoor School will be competing in swimming events at the 1970 International Special Olympics in Chicago…Both children are gold medal winners from the Cleveland Special Olympics held in June. Assisting Broadmoor students in practices were the Mentor Jaycees and the Youth Assoc. for Retarded Children.” Mentor Monitor.
March 1971 Ground Breaking for the new Comprehensive Center.
“The first phase of construction for thee Lake County Comprehensive Center for the mentally retarded will cost about $5.1 million, including land purchase and site clearing… The vocational training center will be built in modular form to avoid an institutional atmosphere. It will included training areas for auto reconditioning, car washing, duck decoy production, small machine skill shop, carpentry, sewing, simply machine copying, custodial work and cafeteria kitchen work.” Excerpted from News Herald.
April 1971 “The Lake Mental Retardation Board approved the inclusion of a dental clinic to be housed in the diagnostic and evaluation clinic of the Comprehensive Center… The Willowick Jaycees are spearheading a campaign to equip the dental clinic…” Excerpted from the Telegraph
November 1971 “Five year operating levy passes by 63%. Proceeds will fund Broadmoor School for Retarded in Mentor, Sheltered Industries in Willoughby and a comprehensive Mental Retardation Center now under constructions in the Deepwood Area of Mentor.” Telegraph
June1972 “Twenty seven participants from Broadmoor School in Mentor and Sheltered Industries in Willoughby represent Lake County in the first Ohio Special Olympics Held at the OSU Stadium in Columbus. Three of the participants are selected to go to Los Angeles to compete in the national competition.” Telegraph.
September 1972 “The Vocational Guidance Center of Lake County Comprehensive Center for the Mentally Retarded in Mentor opened, moving from Beidler Rd. In Willoughby.” Telegraph
1973 Purchase of Service through the Division of mental Retardation was begun in 1973 through House Bill 761 as sponsored by State Rep. William Mallory.
September 1973 “the Lake County Mental Retardation Board is holding an Open House for it’s newly established Comprehensive Center. The Child Development Center is for diagnostic work and evaluation. It has three levels of service, home training and family service, day programs for preschool and a resident program. The Board approved a new admission policy for the center states in part, ‘Participation by the family in out patient services prescribed by the child development center. Formal agreement by the parent or guardians to participate actively in the residential treatment as may be required. Simple custodial care is not a function of the residential unit.’ It was further explained that children will be treated at the center from 30 to 60 days. The development center is not designed to take the place of the home.” Telegraph
November 1973 Mrs. John J Gilligan, wife of Ohio’s Governor, was in Lake County today touring mental retardation facilities to promote National Mental Retardation Month. “This particular workshop is more extensive than any I’ve seen,” Mrs. Gilligan was quoted as saying.
July 1975 Federal Title XX monies in the amount of $16 million per year become available to county boards for social services and employment and training.
October 1975 Several local artists of the Fine Arts Committee for the beautification of the Mental Retardation Center donated their works. The project was a joint effort of county Association for Retarded Citizens and the Lake Mental Retardation Board.
November 1975 Public Law 94-142, the Education of All Handicapped children Act was passed by the 94th Congress of the United States. JoAnn Sidles and a group of parents (including Lake County parents) file a lawsuit to improve conditions at Apple Creak State Institution in Wooster. The U.S. district Court in Cleveland set down guidelines the institution has to meet including reducing the population, increasing staff and improving facilities. Reducing the population was accomplished by sending residents to community centers. Lake comprehensive Center is noted as an excellent example of a community center.
January 1976 Adult Residence Center accepts its first residents. Two residents come ‘home’ from Apple Creek. Several others transfer from other county homes.
October 1977 Molnar Industries in Willoughby and the Department of Defense Contract Administration Services presents an Award of Excellence to Sheltered Industries. The clients of SI completed work on battle tank parts with fewer errors than allowed for in the defense contract. Senate Bill 71 as sponsored by State Senator Tim McCormick is enacted creating a licensing system for residential facilities for persons with mental retardation.
1978 An Infant Stimulation Program is created at the comprehensive Center to offer parents an opportunity to receive therapy for their children as well as counseling and moral support.
The Adult Residence Center and the Child Development Center become certified as intermediate care facilities enabling the Board to receive Medicaid monies.
The Child Development Center becomes a long-term care facility. Children who previously only stayed for time limited treatment can now live here as their home.
September 1978 The Preschool program of the Comprehensive Center is moved to Broadmoor School.
February 1979 “A bowling league sponsored jointly by Wickliffe Lanes, the Lake County Association for Retarded Citizens and the Wickliffe Jaycees is formed.” New Herald
1980s
July 1981 Mentor home for retarded might face opposition. Purvis Home, in Madison Township was approved by township trustees and licensed by the state on April 1. Lake County Association for the retarded formed Larcwood Inc, a non profit corporation that plans to open a family home for the retarded in Mentor. Deepwood starts Parent to Parent program. It is designed to give emotional support and advice and information about community services to parents who have just learned their child is retarded. State moves to speed housing for retarded. Ohio Department of mental Retardation and Developmental disabilities assigned a specialist and named a committee to develop a multi-year plan for housing retarded people in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties.
August 1981 Designers of Deepwood’s recreation facility win architectural award.
November 1981 Vocational Guidance Center starts a Continuing Education Program. The program teaches socialization, fashion, money management, reading for pleasure, hygiene, job readiness, photography, figure fitness and fun, nutrition and cooking and recreation.
December 1981 169 Board seeks renovation plan bids for the Adult Residence Center at Deepwood and at Broadmoor School. Objectives for renovation include review of the school’s climate control system and accomodating wheel chairs in the Adult Residence.
January 1982 Center plans to change bedrooms from four person to two person capacity separating the family area from the dining area, and providing a physicians clinic for clients to get attention at the center.
January 1982 Broadmoor School Principal Michael P. Christopher reports that the indoor swimming pool leaks about 100 gallons of water a day.
October 1985 CLEO – Creative Learning Employment Opportunities begins. Work group from VGC gets grant from Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission to pay for vans and Vocational Trainers to get folks out of the workshop and into the community. Supported Employment at LCBMRDD begins.
1990s
April 1991 CLEO moves of campus to a location in the community. Grows from 80 individuals in enclaves and competitive placement to 150 individuals.
1992 Willoughby Workshop opens on Joseph Lloyd Parkway
1998 Agency goes for levy
2000s
2000 Centers for Medicaid requires Ohio Department of MRDD to change it’s structure. SSA (Service and Support Administration and IA begin)
2003 CLEO changes it’s name to Community Employment Services.
2005 Further changes in the Medicaid program result in new private providers offering services in Lake County. Individuals on a Waiver now have the Free Choice of Providers for all waiver services.
