Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Friday, September 2, 2005

O’FALLON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today was honored by local officials, care providers and families for securing federal funds for a new Family Support Services Center to serve autistic children and their families.

"By improving and strengthening critical services, we can make a significant difference on behalf of these children and their families by helping them transition into adulthood with the skills necessary to make their own choices, contribute to society, and to live independently," said Bond. “I am grateful for our partnership on this important project and look forward to the grand opening of this new Center.”

The new facility will be named the Christopher S. "Kit" Bond Family Support Center in honor of Bond’s efforts to make the new center a reality. As Chairman of the Senate Transportation-Treasury-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee Bond secured $750,000 for the Center in this year’s spending bill, which Bond hopes will be approved by Congress later this fall. In fiscal year 2005 Bond secured $1 million for the center.

The center will serve approximately 250 families in St. Charles, Warren and Lincoln counties with autistic children and will provide a variety of services, including:

* The Center for Autism Education will provide classroom educational opportunities for kids who have been unable to be educated in a typical public school setting;

* The multi-purpose teen center will be surrounded by various therapy rooms including a computer lab, an art center, a sensory room, an exercise room, a library and tutoring center, and an animal education room. This will be utilized 24/7 by all parts of the overall center;

* A five-bed respite facility which will provide a healthy environment for kids 10-21 who need to be out of the family setting for short periods of time, whether its due to a parental health problem, need to take pressure off the family or deal with other children, for example;

* A training apartment which will provide a real life setting for youngsters to learn how to function in the real world.

* A state of the art outdoor play and therapy area.

Since 1958, the volunteers and staff of the Family Support Services have been providing much-needed educational, recreational and respite support and services for children with developmental disabilities and their families. With the new Christopher S. "Kit" Bond facility, Family Support Services will finally have a centrally-located “home” to call their own.