Our Mission
Our MISSION is to support communities by delivering compassionate, professional services to individuals and families.
We exist to support families, many of whom require ongoing support for a member of the family. To provide that support, we have organized programs and opportunities to meet these needs, including residential, day service, and advocacy for system change.
Families may be any size, from a single person to a community of similar interests, backgrounds, or needs. Services may be required from birth, or as we approach the end of life, or anywhere in between.
Serving families also means serving the workforce whom families hire to perform support duties. Caregiving, community support, and advocacy are all essential elements of supporting families, and serving our workforce is essential to quality service.
Our Vision
Our VISION is to create a more inclusive world by fostering the talent, systems, and technologies necessary to bring communities together.
The roots of the Family Co-op go back to the 1950s and a desire by a group of families to find something better for their children. At that time, persons with disabilities had few rights and fewer opportunities to integrate into the larger community.
When the founders built Merry Glen in 1973 (after 18 years of advocacy, struggle, and planning), they made a plain statement that their children BELONGED in the neighborhood…a new idea at the time, but something we take for granted today.
Coming together for problem-solving and building a better neighborhood are basic social goals for any community, yet increasingly difficult to find.
The Family Co-op serves as an example of what is possible when people of goodwill combine efforts for a higher purpose. And the positive results are local.
Although the Family Co-op has its roots in service to persons with developmental disabilities, the lessons of cooperation, shared effort, and building community equity can be applied in any neighborhood with the vision and desire.
Our Values
We VALUE professional services reliably offered and properly valued, welcoming all into the community and services grounded in evidence.
Interdependence: “All have their worth, and each contributes to the worth of the others.”― J.R.R. Tolkien
Professional Support: The workforce serving our loved ones provides kind, caring services 24/7. They deserve an income MINIMALLY sufficient to provide a sustainable lifestyle for a family. They are invaluable. And they are our neighbors, not widgets.
Welcome: We are family, so we understand there are no outsiders. All are welcome.
Grounded Services: Taxpayers deserve outcomes that matter, focusing on the needs of those receiving services. We believe in a bureaucracy that is nimble, responsive, and flat.