At UCP, we have a long, proud history of putting families first. In fact, you could say it’s in our DNA. It was one family’s personal experience with a child with Cerebral palsy that inspired the formation of The CP Center, the original precursor to UCP Central PA. From the beginning, we understood that the single most important influence on the quality of life of a person with a disability is the love and support of family. While our therapies were designed to meet the physical, cognitive, and developmental needs of children with CP, we also supported the broader needs of the family in raising, nurturing, and enhancing the life of a child with a disability.

In the 1950s, a volunteer-operated childcare center was established, as was a youth program paid for by community support. In the 70s, the Center established the only federally funded childcare center for children with disabilities in Central PA. By the 80s, Early Intervention therapies, a fully staffed childcare and preschool program were operational. A decade later, due to tremendous interest and need throughout the community—resulting in significant space constraints–UCP built the Capital Area Children’s Center which enabled the agency to deliver an accredited childcare, preschool, and Early Intervention services under one roof. The most important aspect of the childcare and preschool was the fact that typically developing children were enrolled alongside children with a disability, thereby allowing them to learn, grow, and develop life-long friendships.

The Children’s Center also provided the space necessary for UCP to expand its Family Support Services (or FSS)—an offering which was developed on the premise that the family unit as a whole is strengthened when the needs of each family member are met. FSS provides a broad system of support for parents, siblings, and extended family of a child—infant through adult—with any type of disability. FSS has something for everyone, including family fun-time activities, a sibling support group, and workshops and networking opportunities for parents and other guardians.

Over the next several decades, the concept of an inclusive childcare and preschool ultimately became a widely-adopted model. As such, there was no longer a mission-based need for UCP’s childcare and preschool. The Children’s Center facility was sold in 2017 to another community childcare provider. Early Intervention and Family Support Services continue to serve individuals and families out of UCP’s administrative offices in Camp Hill.

To this day, FSS fills a necessary gap that helps families in countless ways, chief among them being the opportunity for families to connect with others going through similar life circumstances. In the words of one grateful parent, Kristie Dionne, “UCP activities allow us to have real life experiences while getting support from other families who walk in our shoes daily.” UCP staff have extensive hands-on experience navigating the vast network of human service offerings available in Central PA and are able to guide and empower parents to become effective advocates on behalf of their child. As such, our caring, knowledgeable staff became a particularly valuable resource for parents and guardians throughout their child’s school-age years.

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