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History

The Butler County Board of DD traces its beginnings to a grassroots effort by parents who wanted an education for their sons and daughters with developmental disabilities.

1950s

For about a century, through 1950, parents of children with developmental disabilities in Ohio had two choices. They could send their child to an institution to receive services, but they had to give up daily contact. Or, they could raise their child at home doing whatever they thought was right. Frequently, the child was hidden from the public.

In the 1950s parents in Ohio began crying out for help for their children -- for their child's education -- for a better life. That's when they began asking the state legislature for help.  In 1952, parents in Butler County formed the Council for Retarded Citizens. Their first duties were as advocates, developers, organizers and bus drivers. Classes were started in 1953 in Hamilton and later in Middletown. Goodwill Industries established a workshop program in Hamilton in 1962.

1960s

Finally, the state responded to the parents' pleas. In July 1967, the state established County Boards of Mental Retardation.

1970s

The Butler County Board of DD’s New Miami Adult Center opened in July 1970.  In 1973, Fair Acres Center opened.  This facility housed both the school and an adult center when it opened.   In addition to adult services at Fair Acres, the Board opened Middletown Center in June 1974.  The Board began programming for young children from birth up to age three through an Early Intervention Program in 1975.  In 1976, the DD agency started its first pre-school age classes.

In 1975 Congress passed Public Law 94-142, the Education of the Handicapped Act, which guaranteed free, appropriate public education to all handicapped children. Ohio passed its companion legislation, Amended Substitute House Bill 455, the following year. To comply with this legislation, Butler County DD Programs began discussion with school districts in the county to transition students with disabilities to their schools.

On the home front, the Board entered into residential services when it opened the first group home in Seven Mile in 1978.

1980s

During the 1980’s the focus of the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities directed its efforts toward community inclusion and supports.

In 1983, the DD agency moved its school-age students into the Least Restrictive Environment. The term, Least Restrictive Environment, was used by the Supreme Court to explain the concept that students should be allowed to have the freedom to learn in classrooms most appropriate to their educational abilities.

In November 1988, the Board announced it would cease accepting referrals for its school-age class at Fair Acres School. The Board also indicated it would no longer operate classes for school-age individuals after the completion of the 1990-91 school year.

In 1983 Hamilton Center opened and was followed by the opening of Liberty Cemter in 1989. 

1990s

In the 1990s, the DD programs ended the direct operation of the school-age programs and residential services. DD focused on using existing services in the community and helping individuals become a part of their community. In a similar community spirit, early intervention and pre-school programs also moved into neighborhood sites.

In 1997, the Board renamed the Fair Acres Center the Janet Clemmons Center for Young Children and Families. The new name honored Mrs. Clemmons, a former DD board member and child advocate, who was a Butler County Commissioner at the time of her death.

2000s

In 2000, the DD staff underwent a reorganization that viewed parents and individuals as the guiding force, supported first by direct care staff and then the administration. DD now has three basic geographic areas for support coordination. Three community teams cover the three areas and follow school district lines:

In 2000, Butler County voters approved a two-mill continuing replacement levy. In 2000, the DD returned to its grassroots efforts to expand Medicaid waiver programs for in-home supports and out-of-home placements in the state’s next biennium budget.  In June 2001, House Bills 94 & 405 were approved. The bills required changes in the structure of certain DD programs as well as the addition of staff.

In 2002, the Middletown Annex was expanded and renamed The Middletown Enrichment Center. In 2003, the Butler County Board of DD renovated and expanded Liberty Center to better meet the needs of the individuals with disabilities who attend the facility.  Also in 2003, the Level One Waiver Program began. In 2004, Butler County voters approved a one mill continuing replacement levy.

In the spring of 2006, after 30 years of providing specialized preschool classrooms, the Butler County Board of DD transferred preschool classroom operations and funding to the local school districts.

Over the years the program’s scope has broadened to include vocational, residential and recreational supports. The emphasis, however, continues to remain on the individual’s and the family’s needs. The grassroots effort, which launched the program, continues to be a strong way of advocating for an ever-growing population with complex needs. Today, persons receiving Board services live their lives with more control, freedom, and independence than many ever imagined possible.