Respite Care Program
Respite Care offers families relief from the daily care of their family member with a disability. Screened, experienced Respite Care Providers make it possible for families to get away during periods of stress or crisis, to take care of personal business, or simply to take a break to relax. Statistics show that parents who receive respite are less likely to be charged with child abuse, perhaps because parent stress levels are directly related to anger management. Respite Care is available both in-group and individual settings. The Arc also provides Group Respite on the First and third Saturday of each month.
Supported Community Living Program
Supported Community Living program allow individuals with disabilities to work toward specific goals with the help of skilled professionals. The purpose of this service is to increase independent living skills and community integration through learning to use community resources.
Supported Employment Program
The Supported Employment Program offers employment support to adults with disabilities. Our Employment Specialist helps people with disabilities with their job seeking skills, placement, and development. The Arc of Southeast Iowa provides job coaching, after people with disabilities have jobs, to ensure success in their placements.
The Summer Day Camps
The Summer Camps are co-sponsored programs between The Arc of Southeast Iowa and Iowa City Parks and Recreation. We have two Summer Day Camp sites; the first, is at Mercer Aquatic Center and serves adolescents with disabilities, the second, meets at Grant Wood Elementary, and serves Little Tykes, ages three to eleven.
The Parent Connection is a support group for parents who have a child with a disability—a Social Skills Class for disabled children and Childcare are offered as incentives for this program. Hispanic Parent Support Group (Manatial) is for Hispanic parents who have a child with a disability. Childcare and a light lunch are incentives for this program. Sibship is a support group for brothers and sisters who have a sibling with a disability. The Children at Home Program, a state grant, offers families direct monetary support to aid them in expenses related to having a child with a disability living in their home. The Family Helper Program, a partnership between the University of Iowa and The Arc of Southeast Iowa, is a kind of parents-as-mentors program—pairing parents with Social Work Students interested in entering the disability fields.
Advocacy/Awareness
The Arc acts in an advocacy role when necessary to insure that the rights of citizens with developmental disabilities are secured and safeguarded.
