CHICAGO (WLS) -- The potential for state budget cuts has a number of social service agencies worried, as they are concerned that funds supporting programs for people with disabilities might get slashed.
But the Helping Hand Center says it has found a creative way to deal with that issue.
The mission of the center is to assist persons with disabilities to achieve their highest level of independence through quality programs and services. The agency says it is achieving its own independence by providing more services not less.
Each classroom at Helping Hand Center's school for children with autism is equipped with a team of professionals.
"We have occupational therapy, speech therapy, behavior services and a special education teacher in the classroom," said Archie Soelaeman, speech language pathologist. "We also have a physical therapist and we all work together as a team with students for their specific needs."
The one-on-one attention and intense therapy woven into the school day make it a popular choice for area students on the autism spectrum.
"Last year we had to turn away 40 students who wanted to come to school with us here at Helping Hand Center, and at that time we had about 35 children," said Mary Beth Hepp, executive director at Helping Hand Center. "We're now over 50 children and we are planning to have 75 children in the next couple of years."
That growth spurt has not only offered more resources to parents, it also has infused more revenue into the non-profit.
The State Board of Education pays for the students to attend from various school districts. It's just one of the ways the group has reduced its reliance on funding from the state's cash-strapped Department of Human Services.
"About five years ago, 80 percent of our budget was reliant on DHS funding," Hepp said. "Today, we're only 41 percent reliant on that. Our strategy in reducing that reliance was to not cut back but to actually grow, grow our revenues and grow our programs so that we could have different revenue sources coming in."
The school expansion recently led the group to construct a new campus dedicated to adult day programs. It supports a curriculum that includes music, the arts, even computer training. They plan to grow those programs to help become even less dependent on state funding.
"Our goal is to get it down, we hope down to under 30 percent if we can," Hepp said. "There are a lot of changes coming that we think are coming in the future. We're just trying to prepare and be better situated."
The Helping Hand Center recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and they are holding their annual fundraiser next month. For more information, visit www.hhcenter.org.