Who We Are
The Halifax Association for Community Living (HACL) is a grass roots, family-based, charitable organization serving children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities as well as offering support to their families in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
We are governed by a board of 12 volunteers. The Association is managed by an Executive Director and our programs are delivered by paid professionals and paraprofessionals.
Our funding comes through a variety of streams including grants from the Department of Community Services and foundations, donations as well as fundraising efforts. Donate now at Canada Helps http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s2167
HACL was created over 50 years ago by parents who refused to put their children in institutions, which had been the practice of the day. Although the neighborhood schools would not accept their children, a small group of parents persuaded the Halifax Regional School Board to provide them with a classroom in St. Francis School in 1955. The Association hired two teachers and was responsible for paying them as well as providing equipment for the classroom.
Today, education continues to be our main goal. The Halifax Developmental Centre for Early Learning provides individualized early intervention programs for children from 18 months to 6 years of age who have a broad variety of special needs. The centre also offers a full-day child-care program dedicated to typically developing children of the same ages.
Our Family Support program assists families and individuals to identify and obtain the appropriate programs and services required to participate fully in their community. This program also hosts information seminars throughout the year on topics that are of interest to families.
HACL also produces a quarterly newsletter called H.U.B.. It contains a great deal of information of concerns across the age-spectrum. We also encourage families to connect with one another by telling their stories to other families who are facing or about to face similar circumstances.
A very precious legacy was left to us by our founding members and we honor them by continuing to dream, inspiring possibilities and making choices available for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages
