Our History

United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Florida has grown in response to growing needs in our community. It is community support that makes it possible for UCP to step up and help in difficult circumstances. Quite often, UCP is the only source of help for people with complex developmental disabilities.

In the past two years UCP merged with Children’s Services Center and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services to efficiently provide an even broader range of services to needy families and those with special needs.

Just a few years ago, United Cerebral Palsy worked with the Escambia County School district to open Capstone Academy – Pensacola Campus. It was the first charter school in our area to incorporate therapies with education for children from birth to five years old. The Pensacola Campus has undergone three physical expansions and served as the model for Capstone Academy – Milton Campus which opened early in 2010. Both Capstone Academy’s conduct summer programs for children with developmental disabilities and classrooms are filled with little ones with and without developmental disabilities.

Most recently, United Cerebral Palsy accepted the difficult challenge of helping adolescent boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and behavioral issues. One year ago, UCP opened a group home that allowed adolescent boys to remain close to home and have the opportunity to reconnect with their families. Prior to the opening of UCP’s group home boys, who had been removed from their families, were assigned to residential facilities in South Florida because a suitable facility was not available in Escambia County. The success of the boys group home led to the opening of a comparable group home for adolescent girls in September of 2010.

UCP’s growth is fueled by the needs of our community. UCP strives to fulfill needs in our community by providing well planned and well executed programs, care, and facilities.