Westchester ARC is the oldest and largest agency in Westchester County serving adults and children with developmental disabilities and their families. Founded in 1949 by a group of parents of children with mental regardation, Westchester ARC has grown to an organzation of over 600 employees who serve more than 1,600 people in the county. Early intervention, teen youth groups, and living skills classes for adults are just a few of the services offered.
Port Chester Head Start is located just up the hill from downtown Port Chester. The program is based out of the Our Lady of Mercy School on the east side of the street, although it has no affiliation with it. It is part of the Westchester Community Opportunity Program, which provides programs and services for Westchester familes, based on need. In addition to Head Start, there is also a full day care, and what is called a therapeutic program, which is based on student IEP's.
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester was founded in 1949 by a network of volunteers, helping disabled children gain access to medical treatments and services new to area hospitals. Martie Osterer was one of these volunteers. She enlisted her husband David, a Westchester businessman, in forming a partnership of caring community volunteers and professionals committed to making the necessary services and programs available to everyone in need.
While the original focus was on individuals with cerebral palsy, the mandate has continually expanded to reach children and adults with a variety of developmental disabilities.
Today the David G. Osterer Center in Rye Brook serves as the nucleus of a network of more than a dozen locations throughout Westchester County. Those satellite programs and residential sites have been developed to provide for the ever-expanding and changing needs of disabled individuals throughout the community.
Family Services of Westchester is a private, not-for-profit, non-sectarian agency with its headquarters in Port Chester. The company's health services cover a broad range of social and mental programs custom-designed to meet the particular needs of children, teens, adults, and the elderly through eight Family Centers. Family Services of Westchester is staffed with over 450 professional and Master's-level social workers, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, child care workers, nurses, certified home health aides, multi-lingual clinicians,; peer counselors and early-childhood educators.