UPPER DARBY, Pa., Oct 31 - U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) celebrated Halloween today with students at the Elwyn Organization’s Development Center in Media, Pa. The preschool students participated in a Halloween parade followed by a celebration honoring the work of the community to resurface the center’s handicapped playground.

The Development Center is an early care and education program for children ages six months to five years. The center provides opportunities for learning and self-discovery through individualized curriculum for each child, including those with special needs.

A longtime supporter of the Elwyn Organization and its work to provide services to those with special needs, Congressman Weldon congratulated the Development Center in its work to provide opportunities for young children living with disabilities to interact with their peers.

“The payoff of the incredible work the Development Center has done and the support the community has provided can be seen in the smiles on the children’s faces as they play together,” said Congressman Weldon. “It is through development programs like Elwyn that our community is able to bridge the gap for people living with disabilities, providing them with opportunities to make a difference and challenging all of us to work together to promote growth and accomplishment.”

Weldon was instrumental in securing a UPS Foundation grant for the Alternatives School, an Elwyn private school located in Delaware County for students experiencing behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties. The Alternatives School is using the funding to participate in the Literacy Grant Project, which teaches students to develop original stories through music.

A former educator in Delaware County, Congressman Weldon has made his work to provide funding for educational organizations for the disabled one of his top priorities in Congress. He helped to increase special education funding to its highest level in history through his support of reauthorizing the IDEA Act, which funds millions of dollars for education programs focused on children with disabilities. In FY 2005, federal special education grants to states were funded at $10.6 billion, an increase of $500 million over the previous year.

Much of Congressman Weldon’s efforts to secure federal funding through the IDEA Act and other programs can be seen throughout Pennsylvania’s 7th District. Weldon helped fund the Child Guidance Resource Center (CGRC) in Havertown, Pa., which operates programs for mental health and developmentally disabled children. He has also frequently visited the Melmark School in Berwyn, Pa., which provides services for individuals living with cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

For more information about the Elwyn Organization and the Development Center, please visit http://www.elwyn.org/.