Our Story
SPARC - Specially Adapted Resource Centers - was created by families in need when there was no other option. Since 2006, we have been the only nonprofit in Virginia organized to provide community-integrated day programs for adults with severe and multiple disabilities.
Our participants have aged out of the K-12 special education system, lost access to school-based supports, and fallen into the gaping hole in Virginia's social safety net. They require direct support every hour of every day, and their complex medical needs render them unable to work or attend day programs without specialized one-to-one support tailored to their conditions.
SPARC exists because Virginia does not offer safe, community-based day services that meet the needs of this population - and federal civil rights law requires states to do exactly that.
The Need We Fill
Federal civil rights law requires the Commonwealth to provide services to people with disabilities in settings that let them live and take part in everyday community life. Despite nearly two decades of attempts to correct systemic flaws, Virginia remains under permanent oversight by a federal court for failing to comply with its obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While Virginia Medicaid funds certain providers to deliver community-integrated day services for adults with disabilities, it does not offer or fund programs designed to serve adults with multiple, severe disabilities and complex medical needs who attend with their own participant-directed DSP support. It never has.
SPARC provides the very community-based day programs for adults with severe and multiple disabilities that Virginia is required to provide under the ADA and the Permanent Injunction in U.S. v. Virginia.
Our Innovative Model
SPARC's participant-directed model is both cost-effective and person-centered. By enabling individuals to bring their own Direct Support Professional - funded through Medicaid waivers, Community Service Boards, or private means - we ensure continuity of care, avoid double billing, and support highly personalized service delivery.
Our flat-rate structure, supported by need-based scholarships, guarantees access regardless of income. The current total annual per-participant operating cost is just over $21,000.
In contrast, delivering these same services through a Medicaid-funded provider would require more than $58,264 per participant, without meaningful community engagement. SPARC delivers better outcomes with significantly less fiscal burden on the Commonwealth.
Recognition from Virginia Leaders
Leaders across Virginia recognize SPARC's value and have championed our growth
"Virginians with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been - and continue to be - a top priority."
2024
Bipartisan Support for SPARC
Federal Support
U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner secured over $750,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for SPARC to open three new centers in Northern Virginia.
State Leadership
Senator Janet Howell championed legislation providing SPARC with $250,000 in ongoing funding, positioning it as a potential pilot for statewide replication and expansion.
Local Partners
Loudoun County provided $75,000 through a competitive grant. Local governments across Northern Virginia recognize SPARC's value and provide community center space for our programs.
Our Mission
To provide adults with severe and multiple disabilities community-based, person-centered, community integration and engagement day programs which include meaningful learning experiences, social connection, and a rightful place in the community.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Your support helps SPARC continue providing essential services to adults who have nowhere else to turn.
