History

The League for the Handicapped (the parent organization of The Children's League) was incorporated in 1961 by a group of parents of children with developmental disabilities who had few resources available to help them educate their children. In the 1960s, social attitudes and school district resources precluded most of their children from entering the mainstream education system. Alternate educational choices were limited to home schooling or confinement to state or private institutions. The League for the Handicapped was therefore formed with the core belief that all children, regardless of their disabilities, have the capacity to grow and develop if properly nurtured in a caring, educational environment. For more than ten years, League volunteers operated an educational program in excess space provided by area churches, public schools, and medical facilities. During the 1970's, the school was professionalized; state certified special education instructors and therapists were added to the staff, and the educational program was named the Preschool Learning Center (PLC). In 1986, a new facility was constructed to house all the services under one roof. In 2013 the PLC underwent a name change to reflect the broader service delivery options provided by the school and to distance the program from the dated term handicapped. The school is now known as The Children's League (TCL).

Currently, the TCL serves over 100 children in a center-based program, and also provides therapeutic and special education services for many children in their home or in other community-based settings.