1975
Phyllis L. Susser establishes the Herbert G. Birch School for Exceptional Children operating six special needs classrooms funded by the NYS Education Department (NYSED) and NYC Board of Education in Queens. This same year the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was passed by Congress mandating all states provide a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities.
In 1979, Birch establishes its first community residence for children moving out of the Willowbrook State School in Brooklyn. Located at E. 53rd Street, Birch responded to the need of children with disabilities to live in their communities. This program was funded by the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), now OPWDD.
