Heart of Morton began in January 2010 as a group of parents who had children with special needs in District 709. We knew each other through organizations like the Down Syndrome Association, Special Olympics, The Penguin Project, church, schools, and the Morton community at large. The initial goal was to provide information on resources that were available (i.e. Social Security Administration) and steps to take in planning care for our young adults (i.e., guardianship, estate & trust planning). We also recognized that the continuing trend towards the transfer of services from state support to local responsibility would require initiative by parents to provide for the post-high school lives of our young adults.
With that realization, we took steps to organize which included establishing a board of directors, seek incorporation, and obtain IRS NFP status. We were granted NFP status in 2013.