Developmental Enrichment Centers

Developmental Enrichment Centers (DEC) endeavors to reflect God's love for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families through service by providing a community to nurture the spiritual, emotional, and physical growth and well-being of all those we serve. We are a non-profit agency funded through the Arizona Department of Economic Security/ Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES/DDD), fundraisers and private donations, serving individuals in northwest Maricopa County.

Problem Overview
As the parent of a child with severe medical and developmental disabilities, the founder of DEC felt called to develop and offer a supportive and enriching community for individuals like her son. An additional need she observed was the lack of special support services within the faith community for these same individuals. To that end, Developmental Enrichment Centers was formed. A careful and detailed study of market competitors revealed a duplication of direct program services for the mild to moderately disabled adult community, while leaving the market wide open for services to the severely disabled and/or medically fragile community. Additionally, there was a noted shortage of agencies providing after school and summer program services for school age children. DEC is unique within the provider community as a faith-based organization and fills a specific niche market in the west valley.

Goals and Objectives
DEC programs provide specialized sensory-motor, cognitive, and communicative development, as well as social interaction and behavioral training. Personalized goals and skill sets are developed and expanded upon by activities, classes, and community outings. Our experienced staff support each member's individual growth and goals in a safe and loving environment, working in close coordination with the primary caregiver.
The Adult Day Program (DTA) serves individuals aged 18 years and above, with specialized programming for senior adults over the age of 60. The DTA focuses on meaningful social/recreational activities to improve self-esteem, self-advocacy, self-care, and community integration activities; with a strong emphasis on creative expression through the arts for adults with severely challenging disabilities. DEC also provides activities specifically designed for the frail elderly including adult education classes, music, and support groups for participants and care providers.

Our Afterschool and Summer Programs (DTT/DTS) are designed for children aged 7 through 17. DTT and DTS programs provide specialized sensory-motor, cognitive, communication, social interaction, and behavioral training for children with developmental disabilities. We also provide center based respite services to accommodate early release and special school holidays.
All of our center-based programs provide pickup and drop-off transportation services for those individuals residing in the family home. Our fully equipped, wheelchair-accessible vans are also utilized for weekly outings into the community. Daily transportation is currently offered to members living within a 10-mile radius of the program, or attending a school within 5 miles of our facility. Community outings are generally scheduled to venues within 5 miles of the facility. Each quarter, the adult program schedules special outings that fall well outside the general 5 miles and subsequently pass the additional cost of transportation on to the individual member through the monthly activity fee.

In addition to our center-based programs, DEC offers in-home care services of habilitation, attendant care, and respite (which provides relief to primary caregivers). These services are provided on a pre scheduled basis throughout the week and on weekends as needed. Similar to individual member outcomes in the day program, habilitation services establish individual goals to be achieved within the home environment. The primary goal of both attendant care and respite is for the agency to provide these services uninterrupted.

DEC is a licensed provider for Adult Foster Care services otherwise known as Adult Developmental Homes (ADH). Our desire is to identify loving couples who are willing to open their hearts and homes to members with developmental disabilities. Adult Developmental Homes are a form of residential services in which a licensed care giver provides fill-time care and supervision for up to three individuals with developmental disabilities. DEC provides assistance throughout the licensing process up to and including: initial training, quarterly continuing education units; recertification of all mandated training; monthly monitoring and routine support once the license is issued. As of this date, we have not identified any couples willing to pursue this division of the DEC ministry...