An evaluation of existing programs in the archdiocese has resulted in the planned establishment of an agency within the Department of Social Services to care for mentally retarded children.

The agency will be created this summer and will have an annual budget of $10,000 to $15,000 per year for the next five years.

Sister Mary Vernard, R.S.M., principal of Our Lady’s Day School, has been appointed fulltime administrator of the agency. A case worker will be added to the staff at the earliest opportunity. Father Richard A. Kieran will continue as chaplain to the mentally retarded children.

Specific functions of this agency will include the counseling of parents and teachers of mentally retarded children; the referral of mentally retarded children in order to take full advantage of the growing awareness of the needs of the exceptional child in the State of Georgia and of the consequent expansion of facilities in the State.

The agency will be available as consultant to the archdiocesan schools and schools of religion to assist them in aiding the exceptional child. It will also establish and supervise special religious formation classes in conjunction with the Office of Religious Education.

For the first time, the Board of Social Services will coordinate all archdiocesan programs for the exceptional child.

This approach to the care of the exceptional child was prompted by the “Plan for the Future of Our Lady’s Day School for Exceptional Children,” presented to the archdiocesan Board of Education at its request in November, 1967. The report points out that at present the school is not operating at maximum effectiveness. Minimum requirements were listed; namely, a permanent building, additional staff and an increased budget. Even if these requirements were met only a small number of children within a very specific category of exceptionality would be served.

The archdiocese is unable to meet the proposed budget. For this reason, as well as the purpose of broadening the program, it was recommended that the Day School be discontinued in favor of the agency already discussed. In making this recommendation, Sister Mary Vernard and Father Kieran expressed their regret and their concern for those presently served by the school; but were of the opinion that this was the only realistic action to take.

The original draft of the following proposal for the future care of mentally retarded children of the archdiocese signed by Father Richard A. Kieran, chaplain to the school and Our Lady’s Association; Sister Mary Vernard, R.S.M., principal of Our Lady’s Day School; Father James F. Scherer, secretary of Catholic Social Services, and Father Michael A. Morris, director of the Office of Religious Education, was approved for the archdiocese by Bishop Joseph L. Bernardin. It was accepted unanimously by the archdiocesan Board of Education on Jan. 25, 1968.

The decision of the Board of Education to discontinue the Day School in accordance with this proposal was communicated to the parents of the children enrolled in the school at a special meeting, Jan. 26.

Final action was taken upon this proposal by the board of Catholic Social Services at its January meeting on Tuesday. The board unanimously accepted the proposal on condition that there be further discussion on the precise function of the agency.

It is proposed that the Archdiocese of Atlanta implement the following plan for the care of its mentally retarded children:

The establishment of an agency to supervise and promote the treatment and care of the mentally retarded child in the archdiocese. This agency would have the following specific functions:

-- counseling of parents and teachers of mentally retarded children.

-- referring of exceptional children to the correct agency.

-- supervision of all archdiocesan programs for the mentally retarded child.

-- assisting in the care of the exceptional child in the archdiocesan schools and schools of religion.

-- coordination of all archdiocesan programs for the mentally retarded child.

-- representation of the archdiocese, concerning the needs of the mentally retarded child in the Church, state, city, etc.

-- representation of the archdiocese in Our Lady’s Association.

Because of its nature as a counseling and referral agency, this agency should come under the Department of Social Services and work in conjunction with its other agencies. The agency should have a full-time administrator, trained in the care of the exceptional child. A priest should be appointed chaplain to the mentally retarded children of the archdiocese, who would work with this agency.

The precise responsibilities of the administrator need to be clearly defined and the authority necessary to assist in the care of the exceptional child in the schools and schools of religion must be guaranteed.

The immediate establishment of a variety of special religion classes throughout the archdiocese in conjunction with the Department of Religious Education, for those children who cannot be accommodated in our schools of religion and who could benefit from such a religious formation program. The agency proposed would be responsible for the supervision of these classes.

The fostering of special programs within our school system to care for the more common exceptionalities (e.g. the gifted and mildly retarded) as soon as possible.

The addition of a case worker to the agency proposed above as soon as possible.

The discontinuation of Our Lady’s Day School, since the archdiocese cannot meet the projected budget, as contained in “Plan for Our Lady’s Day School for Exceptional Children” of November 6, 1967.