Developmental Enterprises Corporation (DEC) was born out of the love a group of parents had for their children. These parents, already members of MARC (the Montgomery County Association for Retarded Children), wished to increase opportunities available for their developmentally and physically disabled children, who were fast approaching adulthood but were not all going to be able to live independently. Collectively, the parents agreed to create a spin-off of MARC’s adult day care program, forming a new corporation and ultimately founding DEC as a private nonprofit agency, which would provide programs and facilities for adults who have developmental and/or physical needs.
Formally incorporated in 1971, DEC began with the opening of its Pottstown Training Center with only fifteen clients in its founding year. The following year, DEC opened the doors of its first community-based facility, the Norristown Training Center. This site was eventually replaced with the larger facility that continues to house both its recently renovated Training Center and the centralized Administrative Headquarters. Today, DEC operates a total of five community-based Training Centers: Pottstown, Norristown, Willow Grove, North Penn and Center Point.
In addition to the Training Centers, DEC has three other core programs: the Community Residences Division, serving individuals in community living arrangements throughout Montgomery County; the Supportive Living Program, providing a variety of support services to people living independently in the community; and the Employment Services division which serves all of Montgomery County.