The Challenge:

John Hauberg and other parents of children with significant cognitive and or severe physical challenges formed a support group to address the challenges that arose from their decision to keep their children at home. Most other families opted to follow the advice of social workers, physicians and other leaders by placing their children with significant cognitive and or severe physical challenges in state institutions for the mentally or physically disabled.

Back Story:

The initial pressing question for these parents was who would provide oversight and care for their children after they have passed away.

In the late 1940’s and 1950’s, parents of babies who were diagnosed with developmental disabilities were strongly encouraged, by medical professionals, social workers, other leaders and by our culture, to place these babies in state institutions, stating that these babies would cause great disruption and even destruction of the family. Some families did not comply. The challenges led them to seek out each other and form a support group. That support group would ultimately lead to the founding of The Foundation for the Handicapped Children, now known as Lifetime Advocacy Plus.  

After these families started visiting residents, their concern was heightened for both the residents they visited and for the future of their own children.

Their answer showed courage and foresight. They established a non-profit organization be able to serve as Guardian in Washington State. This resulted in professional guardianship, as we know it today. Every state now has the option of limited or full guardianship, both options initially developed by the efforts of the approximately twenty families that led to the formation of this agency. Also, in the early sixties this Board created and established the first ever Special Needs Trust.