Hope School

Hope School
Opened	1957
Current Status	Active
Building Style	Single Building
Location	Springfield, IL
Alternate Names

History

For more than half a century, Hope has been a voice for children with multiple disabilities. From a modest house in Springfield, Illinois to the 26-acre campus, the 50,000 ft Noll Medical Pavilion, The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) and The Hope Institute Learning Academy, The Hope Institute for Children and Families has flourished like the children it aims to help.

The Hope School was founded by Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Jordan, parents who were desperate to find a place to educate their daughter, Judith Ann, who had multiple developmental disabilities. There was no school within the United States which could help Judith to reach her full potential, and so the Jordans started their own in 1957.

The Hope School provided a successful and long-term solution for children with developmental disabilities. It is so successful, in fact, that President John F. Kennedy appointed Dr. Jordan to various governmental councils on disabilities. Dr. Jordan helped to gain attention and provide a voice and a new reality for children and adults living with disabilities. In so doing, he established The Hope School as a national leader in the field.

As a leader in educational and residential services for the developmentally disabled, The Hope School added more services and specialties to help children reach their potential. In 2007, Hope became what is now known as The Hope Institute for Children and Families.