Our History

Act 378 of 1989 known as the Community and Family Support Act, created at the direction of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council.

Children, regardless of the severity of their disability, need families and enduring relationships with adults in a nurturing home environment. As with all children, children with developmental disabilities need families and family relationships to develop to their full potential.​​

Adults with developmental disabilities should be afforded the opportunity to make decisions for themselves and to live in typical homes and communities where they can exercise their full rights and responsibilities as citizens.​

​Through Act 378, parents of children with disabilities sought out a place run by families like themselves where they could seek disability information, resources, and support; in 1992, each region in Louisiana was represented by a Families Helping Families Resource Center thanks to funding provided by the LA DDC and LA Parents Training and Information Center.

​Each Families Helping Families center is an independent nonprofit organization governed by their own Board of Directors and funded by state contracts and donations.

​Each region builds programs based on the needs of their individual region, but the common philosophy and dedication to supporting people with disabilities and their family members to live, work, and play is the same.