Placer ARC is a vibrant agency, serving the communities of Placer County and surrounding areas. Started as a grassroots advocacy association by parents in the late 1950s, the agency transformed to give life to 12 programs serving infants, children, and adults through the ensuing years. At present, Placer ARC operates five programs of fundamental importance to the community, of which individuals with special needs are an integral part.

Placer ARC is a private non-profit corporation, chaired by a volunteer community board and supported by individuals dedicated to promoting the welfare of persons diagnosed with a developmental disability or at risk of a developmental disability. Although individuals with special needs have always been a part of society, the board, the association, and the staff still have work to do to strengthen the general public’s understanding and acceptance.

It is Placer ARC’s guiding belief that every individual with an intellectual or developmental disability has an intrinsic yet often unrealized value in their communities. In representing this population that has been historically underserved, Placer ARC is passionately and steadfastly dedicated to the support, education, and well-being of these individuals. Each of our six programs promotes various measures of support and growth in the areas of personal care, healthy lifestyles, finances, the visual and performing arts, volunteerism, vocational guidance, and higher education.