History of the Arc of the St. Johns
The Arc of the St. Johns was incorporated in 1972 as a 501 C3 organization for the purpose of providing services to people with mental retardation and the special needs of their families.  The Arc was originally formed as the St. Augustine association for Retarded Children and began providing special day care services in a classroom in Trinity Episcopal Church. 

Through the years The Arc has enjoyed a rich history of development and has increased its scope of rehabilitation and special education services to meet the needs of our community members who are challenged by a variety of disabling conditions including Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and other disabilities.

In August 1990 The Arc built its first permanent headquarters to support the training and special educational needs of its customers. The Arc is located near I-95 in the First Coast Plaza, off of State Road 16 at 2101 Arc Drive.  The facility houses many of Arc’s rehabilitation programs and administrative offices.

The Arc is currently engaged in a new and exciting challenge - to build a specially-designed facility for our youngest customers. The new Therapeutic Learning Center, a St. Johns County Charter School, will provide for the special educational needs of children from birth to age five. Like to help? Here's how you can enrich the lives of children with Autism, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and other disabilities in a meaningful and powerful way.