History

In 1981, a visionary group of parents of children with developmental disabilities, educators and community leaders founded Community Support Services (CSS). After an extensive two-year needs assessment, our founders acknowledged the compelling need for community-based alternatives to institutional care for children with disabilities. They envisioned an agency that would foster strong community support and acceptance for people with special needs while working as a partner with the families of these children. CSS was founded with a strong local mandate to provide community-based supports that emphasize the rights of individuals to grow up in loving family homes, to gain an education that prepares them for community living and to become independent, productive members of their communities. Also, we believe that individuals with disabilities have the right to envision their own future and to choose the services that best meet their present and future needs.

Today, CSS is recognized throughout Illinois as a pioneer in the provision of person-centered, community-based supports. Our services have three objectives: to empower participants to lead independent and productive lives in their communities; to strengthen families through a flexible array of family support services so they may provide loving homes for their children with developmental disabilities; and to educate the public about the strengths and abilities of people with developmental disabilities.