In 1978, a group of five professional women met for lunch to address the gap in services for children with disAbilities and their families in Monmouth County, NJ. They were determined to change this trajectory and decided to form the groundbreaking Family Resource Associates (FRA).
Beginning in the basement of the Asbury Park YMCA and with a meager budget of $5,000, the founders made a commitment to do things differently in order to best respond to families in need, pioneering many concepts that have now been accepted as best practices in the field of services for people with developmental disAbilities:
- the first offering of in-home therapeutic support for infants and children
- the first interdisciplinary approach to working with children of all ages exhibiting a range of developmental disAbilities
- the first educational, therapeutic summer program for preschoolers
- the first tutoring and developmental education services for pre-schoolers
- the first lending library of toys, physical equipment, and books
- the first respite care and babysitter training program for children with disAbilities program in New Jersey
- the first weekly recreation programs for children with severe and multiple disAbilities
- ongoing family support and sibling programs
- the first dance program for children with disAbilities, ages 3–18 years old
- the first assistive technology lab to learn, explore and try-out new devices to access the computer
While dismissed at first by county and federal funding for “radical” practices, FRA grew and established itself by listening to the needs of individuals with disAbilities and their families. In 1988, the National Alliance for Technology Access chose FRA over a number of other better-known and larger institutions, with the honor to be the first assistive technology center in New Jersey that would be available to the tri-state area. The result was FRA's TECHConnection, another light-year leap ahead for those with disAbilities and their families - offering an active, non-commercial center where people could come, explore and try out the latest and greatest assistive technological devices, as well as gain valuable resources and training.
In 2018 a clear need existed for newer means for people with a disAbility to gain employment skills, to find and maintain meaningful employment in community businesses and to enhance their ability to thrive more independently. EmployAbility services include individualized employment exploration, supported employment, high school transitions services and internships. FRA added their intensive employment training program Project SEARCH at Monmouth Medical Center and in 2024 at Community Medical Center. This 10-month, multi-faceted approach to employment skill development in an integrated setting provides great contextual experience for successful, long-term careers. As certified Social Security Benefits Counselors, FRA is a significant resource for workers to maintain their SS benefits and gain greater independence.
Today, FRA is proud to be part of a larger community that supports individuals with disAbilities. Yet, for many families, FRA has remained the best provider or only option when it comes to support. With so many changes impacting families with disAbilities and all their day-to-day challenges persist, we know our strength is critical to their future success.
We are committed to enriching the lives of people with disAbilities and their families...today and tomorrow, and are grateful for the community of support that allows us to offer hope to those in need!
