Who We Are | Illinois | SRCA | Call Today! (815) 335-2435

Our founding parents in 1949 knew their children could learn and started Mentally Retarded Children’s Aid (MRCA) to provide classroom education for their children. They later changed the name to Seguin RCA in honor of Edouard Seguin, a 19^th century French physician, known for his work in Europe and the United States with children with learning disabilities.

After Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, and children with disabilities were enrolled in public schools, our founders realized there were no supportive services after their kids left the school system. The SRCA existed to create and share joyful experiences with our participants and continue our mission to provide life-enriching activities for people with disabilities.

For over 70 years, thanks to loving parents, a committed board of directors and passionate volunteers, we have served thousands of individuals with disabilities and their families, through life-enriching social and recreational programs. We provided quality activities – art, music, summer and respite camp, bowling, seasonal parties and lots of fun – for friends to get together and enjoy life.

History

In 1949, a group of parents formed MRCA, a non-profit organization designed to provide functional education for their children. Back then children with developmental disabilities were not allowed in public schools because they did not pass standard IQ tests. The parents were convinced their children could learn and were determined to give them that opportunity.

Through the parents’ hard work and community support, Seguin RCA hired teachers and launched and training classes in a church basement. Our founding parents joined others nationwide who shared the same determination to provide education for their children. They demanded equal education for all children regardless of their abilities. They fought long and hard and, ultimately, were instrumental in bringing about Public Law 94-142 in 1975, which provides equal access to public education for all children, and the creation of state ARC’s (Association for Retarded Citizens). They were then, and are now, the vanguards of services for individuals with developmental disabilities.