Our History
What is Easterseals?
For more than 100 years, Easterseals has been the indispensable resource for people and families living with disabilities. Throughout all life’s moments – from the extraordinary to the ordinary and everything in between – Easterseals is here to help people and families realize and reach for their full potential.
Across the nation, we remove physical, cultural, attitudinal and legal obstacles so people with disabilities have every opportunity to live meaningful and productive lives, on their own terms. We exist to provide the best services and opportunities for people with disabilities in communities nationwide.
Easterseals serves people and families who face a wide range of disabilities, including physical emotional, intellectual, social and educational.
EASTERSEALS BLAKE FOUNDATION
1950 The Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Southern Arizona was founded by a group of Tucson parents who struggled to find adequate services for their young children with special needs and our first inclusive child care/day program was established.
1975 Early Intervention Services were established to identify and advocate for young children with special needs
1982 Job development, coaching and employment support for teens and adults with intellectual or physical disabilities were established
1992 Residential and rehabilitative services for adults with intellectual or physical disabilities were established
1993 Recognizing that the agency's work had grown beyond serving those with Cerebral Palsy, our name officially became The Blake Foundation, in honor of Danny Blake.
1998 EBF partnered with Child Parent Centers to provide Early Head Start center-Based (Palomita Children's Center and Children's Achievement Center) and home-based programming.
2001 The Children's Achievement Center was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
2004 Specialty Behavioral Health Services were established (Birth-5)
2007 EBF was selected to serve as the Easterseals affiliate for Southern Arizona and became Easterseals Blake Foundation
2009 EBF expanded our contract with Child Parent Centers to include Head Start programming for preschoolers (3-5 years of age) at Palomita's Children's Center and Children's Achievement Center.
2009 EBF became an affiliate with the Parents as Teachers national service model.
2010 EBF was selected as an Arizona program affiliate for the national, Parents as Teachers, and Nurse-Family Partnership
2011 Our inclusive early learning and childcare centers are National Association for the Education of Young Children-accredited (meeting the highest standard of childcare quality in the country).
2012 Palomita Children's Center was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
2015 EBF Launched Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services for Children, Adults, & Families.
2017 Easterseals Blake Behavioral Health was recognized as a Cenpatico Behavioral Health Center of Excellence.
2017 Graham & Greenlee Transportation program launched.
2019 Aviva Children's Services becomes part of the Easterseals Blake Foundation.
2021 Psychiatric Services Department was established.
2022 Although EBF had been practicing Nurse Family Partnership under a partner agency since 2009, EBF obtained direct affiliation with the National Service Office to provide Nurse Family Partnership programming.
2022 danny Blake passed away.
2023 Signal Peak Early Learning Center was accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
2023 Easterseals Blake Foundation & Aviva Children's Services recieve CARF Accreditation
EASTERSEALS BLAKE FOUNDATION AWARDS
2013 EBF received the Child Abuse Prevention award, at the March for Children, recognizing its ongoing work supporting abused and neglected children in Arizona.
2014 Project SEARCH program was named the Building Bridges’ Project of the Year.
