History

The Association of Retarded Children started in 1946, when a group of Minnesota parents helped form a grassroots organization to provide support and advocacy to keep their children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in their homes, schools, and communities. This later was changed to the Association of Retarded Citizens, which in turn later dropped the word "retarded", because of the stigma attached. It simply became The Arc, which unofficially stands for Advocacy, Resources and Connections.
Arc West Central started in 1958, as The ARC of Clay County, Minnesota, regionalizing to include Norman, Becker, Wilkin, Otter Tail and Douglas counties in 2002.

Arc West Central’s Core Services:

Provide:

Advocacy to individuals and families in dealing with individual educational, employment, and housing issues
Policy and legislative advocacy for the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities
Training and support to persons with developmental disabilities and their families
Information and referral to support efforts to achieve quality services and improved quality of life for individuals and their families

Promote:

Quality, accessible programs and services
for people with developmental disabilities

Increase:

Membership to promote advocacy at the grassroots level

Services provided for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and their families throughout the lifespan, birth to death.

Board Members

President
Rebecca Fee (Family Member, Clay County Social Services)

Vice President
William Smith (Access of the Red River Valley)

Secretary
Laurie Hoium (Community Member, Mhd)

Treasurer
Scarlett Wiger (Family Member)

Members at Large
Vel Schneeweis (Family Member)
Brandon Kluth (Self Advocate)
Jackie Beedy (Family Member, REMAX Realty)
Allen Senstad (Family Member, Attorney)
Trish Suedel (Connections of Mhd)
Steven Schmit (Blue Sky, Inc.)

Updated 6/17/2010