During the next 18 months, Streator Unlimited, Horizon House and Friendship House will work with national level consultants to master the process of customized employment while assisting participants with developmental disabilities to find jobs or develop their own businesses.

Customized employment, defined in a joint press release, is "a cutting-edge process of building on the skills and strengths of people with developmental disabilities while leveraging funding to meet both capital and personnel needs of businesses in a unique and individualized manner."

Sandy McBride's son Anthony will graduate from Streator Township High School this spring and is a participant in the project.

"Anthony's friend Andy worked with Stephanie (Harcharik) at Streator Unlimited to get a dream job in the parts department at Bill Walsh," said Anthony's teacher, Cheri French, in the release. "We're trying to work together so that students with developmental disabilities will be able to go right into jobs following graduation."

This countywide approach includes a number of partners: the La Salle-Peru Division of Rehabilitation Services, STHS, Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Program, Illinois Association of Microboards and Cooperatives and local businesses that will benefit from this process.

Training sessions and mentoring will continue throughout the calendar year. The goal of the project is to make a local impact on people with developmental disabilities and business while generating policy recommendations at the state level to assure funding and regulations support the process.

For further information, contact Harcharik at Streator Unlimited at 815-673-5574.