The Arc of Shelby County was founded in 1974 as an advocacy organization by a concerned group of parents in with the initial purpose to serve as a support for parents of children with intellectual disabilities.  After several years of assisting other organizations with direct services, in 1988 the organization opened an early intervention program to serve children birth to five with developmental delays.  In 1999 the organization launched a supported employment program to meet the needs of adults with developmental disabilities. The Arc of Shelby County has grown from a small support group into an advocacy agency that has had direct contact with more than 1,500 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families each year.  The organization has watched the capacity to provide life-changing programs and services to individuals’ blossom into a potential to provide tools for improving an already strong and growing community.