Family Care Program
Family Reimbursement Program
Family Respite Program
Outreach Program
Parent Support Network
Res-Hab Home and Community Based Waiver At Home Service
Respite Program

Family Care Program
Family Care was started in 1993 and serves between 3 and 10 people annually.  Family Care provides a safe and comfortable family environment for children or adults with developmental disabilities.  Families in Allegany County are carefully trained and screened. Allegany Arc is continuously seeking Family Care Providers. Stipends are available for providing a referral to Allegany Arc for Family Care Providers who successfully complete the certification process.


Family Reimbursement Program
Family Reimbursement was started in 1994 and serves between 37 and 50 people annually. Individuals with developmental disabilities living with natural family in Allegany County are eligible. Families can be reimbursed for goods or services associated with caring for their family member. A committee reviews all formal requests. There is a reimbursement cap of $200 for each family per year.


Family Respite Program
The Family Respite Program was started in 2006 and currently serves 20-60 children.  The Family Respite program is funded by the United Way. The Family Respite program provides respite services on an hourly basis to children with any type of impairment (ie: medical, sensory, behavioral or developmental) as well as their siblings.  Family respite providers are trained and screened for each child's specific needs. Transportation can be arranged if needed.  Ten (10) hours, of family respite, per month are available to each family.


Outreach Program
The Outreach Program was started in 1993 and serves 12 individuals. Any unserved or underserved individual residing in Allegany County with their natural family is eligible for referral. The Outreach Program provides linkage, referral, and monitoring. If eligibility for services can be determined, short-term case management and enrollment in Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC) is available. In addition, prevention and awareness of developmental disabilities are projects carried out locally to promote an understanding of developmental Disabilities in the community.


Parent Support Network
The Parent and Family Support Network meet for two hours the second Monday of each month. The first hour of the meeting is designated to provide parents, family members, or professionals with information from various topics chosen by the members of the group. Childcare is provided with proper notification.

The Network has an Allegany Arc Staff Facilitator who assists the parents in setting up the agenda, staying on task, assisting with the coordination and scheduling of the training and education pieces.   Allegany Arc will continue to provide the direct oversight to the program and follow up on training requests, scheduling of events and any needed documentation as requested by the parents.

A monthly letter is sent out to families participating in the program identifying the agenda, and any subsequent information as identified by the parents. This announcement also goes out to the Allegany County School Districts, and other human service providers in both Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties.

It is the responsibility of the facilitator to make the necessary contacts for the informational session. If the speaker requires the full two hours for the training, that will be acceptable to the group.

The second hour is an open forum where the parents/family members are able to share their experiences and offer ideas and coping mechanisms to the group.  The Parent Network of Western New York has been a great resource for our support group. They have linked us with professionals from Summit Educational Resources and Neighborhood Legal Services.

There are limited support groups and resources in Allegany County. This group would like to develop its own library of resources which will include videos, games, and books which will help them better understand the issues they are dealing with on a daily basis. It is the Network's hope that we can share these resources with other families and agencies to improve understanding about individuals with special needs and developmental disabilities.

Childcare is an issue when it comes to participation. At this time we have one staff person that is willing to accommodate the small amount of children we have. We will be able to provide more staff if needed.


Res-Hab Home and Community Based Waiver At Home Service
Res-Hab Home and Community Based Waiver At Home Service was started in 1991 and currently serves 68 people. The Home and Community Based Services Waiver is a stepping stone to successful living in the community for people who have developmental disabilities. The waiver service allows the design of uniquely customized supports and services that help each person pursue his or her goals in life. This service is provided in the person's home and in learning situations outside the home. This includes but is not limited to; training in independent performance of self-care, personal health, general household chores, mobility training, financial management, communication, and social behaviors.


Respite Program
The Respite Program was started in 1997 and currently serves 30 individuals. Respite providers are screened and trained to care for each individual's specific needs. Hourly, overnight, weekend, or extended duration respite care provided to adults and children with developmental disabilities living with natural family in Allegany County.


For additional information, please contact:

Cindy Polanowski RN
Senior Vice President of Support Services
cindy.polanowski@alleganyarc.org
(585) 593-5700 Ext. 526