The Building Years: 1953-1974 The United Cerebral Palsy Association of Cayuga County New York, known today as the E. John Gavras Center was founded in 1953.  At that time, there were only two choices available to parents of children with "developmental disabilities" (that concept was hardly understood at the time): they could care for their children at home or place them in an institution.  The first option frequently involved isolation and secrecy; the second, abandonment and guilt. It was the courage and belief that there was a third option which inspired the parents of a child with cerebral palsy to approach the members of several service organizations with the recommendation that a therapeutic program for disabled children could be provided within the community.  Auburn was a close-knit, industrial city with caring citizens willing to support the ventures.  They knew, too, that resources were available in the person of John Gavras, a young physical therapist, with a fine professional reputation.  A Board of Directors was drawn from the community leadership and in 1953, the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Cayuga County was born.  The Board appointed John Gavras as the director and staff physical therapist.  The local hospital donated space and the New York State Department of Health certified the Clinic, as it was then called.  To no one's surprise, fifteen children received therapy during that first year. What began in 1953 was a program whose hallmark has always been cooperation with community organizations and responsiveness to the specific needs of the local citizenry. The number of children receiving therapy increased to 27 within the second year creating the need for an additional part-time therapist.  During these first critical years, the hospital location was helpful in attracting the time and talents of an orthopedic surgeon and a pediatrician; services expanded to include more treatment programs.  Because the hospital needed the space, in 1955 the Clinic was moved to a house, which it shared with Mental Health Services, another emerging community program.  By 1956, the Clinic was offering evaluations, physical therapy, speech therapy, orthopedic and pediatric services on a part-time schedule at an annual budget of $6,600.  In 1963, the Clinic moved to more adequate space in a house owned by the United Way and 71 children received treatment. Over the years, a cooperative relationship developed between the Clinic and the local school districts; this has continued to the present.  By 1965 in Auburn the Clinic opened a pre-school program for disabled children with a special education teacher, provided by the school district and speech and physical therapies offered by the Clinic.  Parents transported 12 physically handicapped preschoolers to the program; enrollment was free.  Federal grant monies were made available through the New York State Education Department to provide quality therapeutic service economically, to reimburse expenses for teacher's salary, and to pay for some equipment and supplies; administration costs were covered in these grants. In 1973, the Clinic served 131 individuals and employed a staff of six at an annual operating budge of $65,000.  The Clinic had demonstrated its intrinsic value to the community's well being and it had outgrown its location (which had also failed fire safety inspections!). The Board of Directors decided to build a permanent facility and joined the local Chapter of the Association for Retarded Children (ARC), another organization concerned with the disabled, in conducting a county-wide needs assessment.  The results of their study indicated that there were 2,642 of 77,439 Cayuga County Citizens who needed developmental services.  With this information, the two organizations persuaded the local County Legislature to support the construction of a 24,000 square foot facility where both agencies could provide programs to the entire counties developmentally delayed citizens.  The building was completed in January 1975.  The Gavras Center was given a 20-year lease at this time.  In 1994, the lease was extended for "the life of the program". The cooperative efforts of the ARC and the UCPA allowed each organization to maintain its own identity and corporate structure while sharing common space, equipment and overhead costs.  The ARC developed programs for adults with developmental disabilities, while the UCPA served those under 21 years of age with special emphasis on the needs of the children.  The Clinic became known as the E. John Gavras Center in memory of its first director, who died in 1974. During building construction, a pilot project was developed at the Center; "A Cooperative Interagency Preschool" was approved by the New York State Education Department.  As a result of this new project, the Center's preschool program was expanded; additional speech and physical therapists, as well as educators, were hired; and the nine school districts included in the Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Cooperative Education Services District transported children, provided psychological testing and staff development training.  Cooperation and responsiveness continued to underlie the Center's purpose. The Expanding Years: 1975-1995 In 1975, the Center had a new home, apparently adequate space, additional staff, and even close working relationships with public schools, local government agencies, and other service organizations.  The opening of the new facility gave the staff the opportunity to concentrate on further program expansion.  The period from 1975 to 1994 was one of remarkable growth in program development and the number of individuals served.  This was caused by increased social awareness of and public support for the concerns and potential of both mentally and physically handicapped children.  The Center was able to establish programs for early intervention in 1976; these were added to the preschool program, various therapies, and psychological services already in process. The staff has always kept in touch with the community it serves and regularly reviews its program effectiveness, incorporating new treatment procedures as these appear to be appropriate.  Always mindful of cost control and the financial pressures on the population it serves - one marked by economic decline and increasing cost of services - the Center has maintained the philosophy of providing a first rate program which does not duplicate other similar services and maintains strict efficiency.  The community appreciates this position: the Gavras Center continues to be the only facility of its kind in Cayuga County.  In 1975, we employed 6, serviced 131, and had an annual budge of $65,000.  In 1994, we had 50 employees, we served 590 individuals, and our annual budget was $1,700,000. In September 1994, a working relationship with the Moravia School district was established when we opened an integrated preschool classroom in their elementary school building.  In February 1995, a preschool class was established in the Central Red Creek School District, serving children in Northern Cayuga County. In April 1995, a 7,000 square foot expansion project was completed.  This area includes three classrooms and two rooms for motor therapy. The Millenium Years: 1996-2002 With our new building addition, we experienced growth in preschool and early intervention programs.  In fact as time went on, it was necessary through program expansion, to collaborate with Booker T. Washington center in Auburn by utilizing space in their building.  From 1999 through 2001, we utilized their space to run program. Again, times change and program philosophies shift in delivery of service systems.  Where once center-based programs were thought to be the best way to serve children with disabilities, it now is considered to be somewhat restrictive.  Cost also became a factor in that center based preschool programs for disabled children have therapeutic as well as special education supports.  So once again new models have come along and now the opportunities are for children with and without disabilities to co-exist together. In September of 1994, a working relationship was established with the Moravia School District when we opened an integrated preschool classroom in their elementary school building.  Later that school year in February of 1995, an integrated preschool classroom was established in the Red Creek Central School District serving children in Northern Cayuga County.  Declining enrollment in Red Creek two years later, led to our closing this satellite site.  We were pleased that in September of 2002, we again open this site to Special Education Programming, by integrating children with special needs into their existing Universal Pre-Kindergarten program.  This would last for a few years until declining enrollment once again forced us to relocate children back to North Street.  To this day we are still programming in Moravia, although most of the programming is related to Universal Pre-Kindergarten programming which we have run for the Moravia School District since September of 2000.  In addition, we opened a Universal Pre-kindergarten program in the Port Byron elementary school in September of 2000 as well. All of this was taking place as we completed a 7000 square foot addition to our North Street site in April of 1995.  The project was completed with the majority of funding coming from donors and fund raising projects.  Three preschool classrooms, motor area, sensory area and office space was added to complete the project. As Early Intervention and preschool programming flourished in the mid 1990's we recognized that anytime, declining enrollment could lead to empty schoolrooms and a reduction in clinical therapies.  By the late 1990's program expansion and development was necessary to diversify the agencies funding.  At the time we were operating a small Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) program referred to as Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC).  Our license to operate this program was received in 1994; however, we did not begin to fully operate any OMRDD program until 1999.  So, in September of 1999, we serviced seven (7) in MSC, one (1) in Day Habilitation and one (1) in Residential Habilitation.  As of September of 2002, we are servicing sixty-three (63) in MSC, forty-two (42) in Day Habilitation and sixteen (16) in Residential Habilitation. Our budget for calendar year 2003 now stands at over $3,000,000, with 110 full and part time employees. Years: 2003-2006 Growth continues for the next few years at Gavras, specifically in OMRDD related programs.  Day Habilitation explosion continues and necessitated leasing additional space at St. Mary's school.  Two classrooms and one and a half offices were leased in July of 2002 to accommodate program growth.  This also allowed traffic congestion to ease at our main site on 182 North Street.  Once again, program capacity increased in OMRDD programs, requiring the need to look for additional program space. Prior to that in late 2003 and early 2004, a local agency decided they no longer wished to operate three (3) Individual Residential Alternatives (IRA's).  Thus began a year long process of planning and research to put in place a transition plan that would affect transfer of three homes to Gavras Center.  The homes combined house eleven (11) individuals with developmental disabilities.  This transfer took place on September 30, 2004. Shortly after transfer, it was apparent that the OMRDD programs would continue to grow and prosper, resulting in the need for additional space.  This space was found in the form of a new building that was being built on speculation.  Closing of the building and property took place in July of 2005 with a smooth transition just prior to the July 4th holiday.  Current space at St. Mary's was 3,870 square feet, while the new space will consist of 7,000 square feet. Currently, the agency is serving over thirty (30) families in Early Intervention, over two hundred (200) in preschool and in related services, one hundred ten(110) in service coordination (MSC), sixty-five (65) in day habilitation, thirty-five (35) in at home residential, eleven (11) in the IRA's and twenty (20) in waiver respite.  Current employment status is two hundred ten (210) full and part time, with a 2006 budget of 5.50 million.