Hattie Larlham
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| Named after | Hattie Lena Gadd Larlham |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1961 |
| Founder | Hattie Larlham |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Helping people with developmental disabilities |
| Headquarters | Mantua, Ohio |
| Location |
|
Region served | Ohio |
| Website | hattielarlham |
Hattie Larlham is an American nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for more than 1,600 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the state of Ohio.[1] Services provided encompass medical, work training and employment, recreational, educational, and residential, catering to both children and adults.
Named after its founder, Hattie Gadd Larlham, the organization is headquartered in Mantua, Ohio.[2] In 2021, it celebrated its 60th anniversary.[3]
In 2016, Hattie Larlham was named one of the 99 best places to work in Northeast Ohio for the seventh time.[4]
Hattie Lena Gadd Larlham created her organization in 1961 and legally established the Hattie Larlham Foundation in 1963. She became inspired to action when, as a nurse, she experienced first-hand the lack of specialized care available for children with developmental disabilities. She took a neighbor's daughter, who was born with inoperable hydrocephalus, into her home to provide care for the child. Not long after, she was caring for ten children in her family's small farmhouse and soon had a waiting list of 100 children.[5]
Larlham drew national attention for her efforts and eventually served as a disabilities issue advisor to U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.[6] Her accomplishments also earned her a place in the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.[7] She died in 1996 and is buried at the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities.
In 2008, Hattie Larlham completed a three-year, $16–million-dollar renovation and expansion of its flagship location, the Hattie Larlham Center for Children with Disabilities.[8]
In 2015, the nonprofit officially expanded its services to central Ohio when it acquired the Association for the Developmentally Disabled (ADD), headquartered in Westerville, Ohio.[9]
Community-based programs
Constant Companions
Constant Companions is Hattie Larlham's adult day support program. The program maintains seven locations throughout northeast Ohio: Uniontown, Twinsburg, Barberton, North Canton, Bedford Heights, Stow, and Middleburg Heights.[10] The program emphasizes community integration, volunteerism, civic engagement, and education.
Hattie's Doggie Day Care & Boarding
Hattie's Doggie Day Care & Boarding was a pet boarding operation with locations in Cleveland, North Canton, and Twinsburg. These facilities offered day care and long-term boarding for dogs, as well as grooming services. Employees with disabilities cared for the animals as they worked alongside professional job coaches.[11] Hattie's Doggie Day Care & Boarding began with a location in Green, Ohio and expanded to a second site in Twinsburg in August 2010.[12] A third location opened near Cleveland on May 14, 2012. The 5,300-square-foot facility is the largest to date.[13]