Our Mission
At UCP Heartland, our mission is to provide children and adults living with differing abilities extraordinary care and support they need to thrive in school, at home, at work and in their community.
Our Vision
UCP Heartland envisions being the provider of choice for children and adults with differing abilities and making sure all people have the opportunity to live, learn, engage, work and reach their full potential.
We provide programs and supports in these key areas:
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- Adult Day Programs
- Autism Services
- Early Childhood Development
- Employment Resources
- Residential Services
- Respite
- Services Navigator
- Youth Camps
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Community Need
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in four Americans is currently living with a disability, making people with disabilities the single largest minority or special interest group in the United States. As life expectancies expand, the CDC predicts that in the coming decades an even greater percentage of people will be living with disabilities.
Our History
UCP Heartland was founded in 1953 by a group of concerned parents and volunteers, who wanted to provide a higher quality of life for family members and friends living with disabilities. The primary focus during the early stages of the organization was to provide support to families and provide leisure services to children and adults with cerebral palsy. Over the years, due to changing needs within the disability community, we expanded our focus to serve people with a spectrum of disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, traumatic brain injury and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. We have grown to meet the needs of individual with disabilities in a changing world. In 2008, UCP acquired another nonprofit agency, expanding our service geography to include Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri.
We are proud of our reputation to serve the most vulnerable. People living with disabilities are living longer today than in 1953. We are committed to provide the supports necessary for a successful, happy meaningful life to our clients, their families and their surrounding community. As our founders had hoped, UCP continues to change the way the world sees people with disabilities. Our communities become rich with diversity as we incorporate our clients into every facet of society.
UCP Heartland’s Values in Action
Every individual who works on behalf of UCP Heartland plays a vital role in upholding the highest ethical and moral standards and in fully complying with all state and federal laws, regulations and agency policies. We are committed to the development of a professional work environment characterized by integrity, customer service, clarity and honesty.
UCP Heartland’s Core Values
• Trust – We understand people depend on us and take complete ownership of our responsibility.
• Respect for all – We value everyone associated with UCP Heartland even when there are differences.
• Honesty – We are open, transparent, and truthful with each other and all people and families we are honored to serve.
• Diversity – We value, recognize and believe UCP Heartland benefits from all people and the differences we bring to the organization.
• Conciliation – We behave in a spirit of compromise and agreement. We listen to and respect other’s opinions and are open to constructive discussion. We respect and support final decisions made even when we disagree.