Whenever we cross a milestone in our own lives there is a natural tendency to focus on what has happened in the past and what we anticipate for the future.  It is no different when reflecting on the 70-year life of CFS, an organization that has grown from humble beginnings to a multi-state agency with over 1,500 employees serving 1,050 individuals and families.

In 1954 parents of children affected by Down Syndrome who were reluctant to utilize existing institutional settings chose their homes to tend to those young family members in need of special support. Needless to say, that task proved daunting and could not be easily accomplished without some respite.  Through the initiative and influence of Irene Arnold – CFS’ first Executive Director – a cooperative care organization was established for those families to provide each other some time off to deal with some of life’s mundane tasks.

When I first came to the organization in 1978, it was as a consultant. My task was to examine reasons for its increasing financial stress and the potential effects of continuing without changing the business model. The world had started to change dramatically; government programs subsidizing respite care had almost completely replaced public fundraising and cooperative care; and due to medical advances, the average age of the population being supported increased dramatically.  Adapting to that change on the part of the organization was required.  But no change was required as to the values on the part of the administration, staff, or parents, whose mindsets were well suited for this new world of support. I was so impressed by the character of the organization that after designing a plan and assisting in renegotiating the government contract, I joined the Board.

The ensuing years proved to be the most interesting and were a period of significant growth for CFS. The blight of institutionalized care was exposed, which led to a public realization of the value of a more modest approach of group homes and a support system outside of the traditional methodologies. Day habilitation, job placement, individualized planning and self-direction came to the fore, and CFS quickly embraced these growing models of support.  Governments sought to discharge institutional patients faster than some organizations could adopt.  Throughout this period CFS expanded its respite care while simultaneously starting its own residential support, community, congregate, and eventually, self-direction programs.

We can look back and be thankful at CFS’ history and its role in improving the lives of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities; more importantly we can look forward with a sense of optimism to an even brighter future.

Lloyd Stabiner
CFS Board President

Lloyd Stabiner has been a member of the Board since 1978 and Board President since 1990.