History

In 1952, a group of parents in Phoenix came together to join United Cerebral Palsy Associations as part of the national movement to raise their children with cerebral palsy at home rather than the alternative of institutionalizing them. To this day, that core value of maintaining the family unit is at the foundation of every program we provide.

During the ensuing years, UCP of Central Arizona served hundreds of children with cerebral palsy and their families living throughout Central and Northern Arizona. As the children grew into adulthood, UCP of Central Arizona expanded services to meet the needs of adults with cerebral palsy. Through various contracts with the state of Arizona, UCP of Central Arizona also expanded services to include individuals with other types of disabilities. We serve children and adults with various disability other than cerebral palsy including autism, down syndrome, developmental delays, and learning disabilities.

The UCP Laura Dozer Center opened in June 2003, thanks to the generosity of Karie and Rich Dozer and many community supporters.  The center, named after the Dozer’s late daughter, Laura Grace Dozer, is a state of the art facility that was designed specifically to meet the needs of children and adults with disabilities and their families.  The four buildings at the center are named Hope, Nurture, Imagine, and Believe to represent all that is experienced at the Laura Dozer Center.

With the increasing need for adult programs, UCP of Central Arizona expanded its facilities in 2007 by leasing 6,000 square feet of space two blocks from the Laura Dozer Center in order to provide life and employment skills training to our adult population.

In 2009, we also opened an East Valley location in Scottsdale where many of our Early Intervention staff meet and hold training sessions.

UCP of Central Arizona has grown from an organization with 14 employees serving 75 families in 1991 to an organization with over 300 employees, serving over 2,500 families on an annual basis.