The Arc Central Chesapeake Region, a nonprofit committed to transforming lives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), announced today that it granted over $30,000 to Maryland youth through their Family Fund grant. Created in 2017, the Family Fund provides grants for services and supports not covered by insurance.

“We are very proud to support the community, especially at a time like this when so many families are in desperate need of resources,” said Jonathon Rondeau, CEO, The Arc. “So many therapies, services, and adaptive equipment for children with disabilities are not covered by insurance and can be prohibitively expensive for families. With our Family Fund, we work to fill the gaps in access to the supports we know make a significant difference in the lives of youth with a disability.”

The Arc partnered with the Bowen Foundation for Autism to reach more families throughout the region. The grant awarded $10,000 of Autism-specific funding, contributed by the foundation.

“It is important to us that we are a resource and strong advocate for the families in our community,” Rondeau said. “With support from the Bowen Foundation for Autism, we were able to help twice as many families this year.”

This grant cycle saw over 100 applications and more than $200,000 in requests – double the numbers from 2019. A number of applications sought requests to help with unexpected expenses of supporting children at home amidst the COVID-19 crisis as parents try to recreate therapies and educational settings at home.

The Family Fund awarded 62 grants, totaling over $30,000 to families in Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.