FARMINGTON -- Once young adults with special needs are out of high school, they often find few opportunities to mingle in the community, go to social events or just have fun.

"Schools have special education programs that do very well, but the minute these folks graduate high school, there is nothing," said Ed McNaughton, the father of a 36-year-old daughter with Down syndrome.

McNaughton helped found Families Matter Inc. in 1992 and is now its executive director.

The nonprofit organization has adult day care centers in Hallowell and Waterville that currently serve 45 people. The agency plans to open a third facility this month at 218 Fairbanks Road in Farmington, the former location of Farmington Construction.

The Farmington Planning Board will consider the Families Matter site review application at their 7 p.m. meeting on Monday, July 13, at the Farmington Municipal Building.

McNaughton said Families Matter works closely with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, and the agency often refers clients who could benefit from the service. It was agency case workers who suggested expanding to Farmington because of the need.

"We hope to have 12 to 15 consumers in Farmington within the next six months to one year," he said.

The Waterville center on North Street, which has 23 clients, is also expanding due to the growing demand, he said.

Each center is certified by the state to provide adult community support services. Clients can attend Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and typically, by 10 a.m., they are heading off in vans to participate in activities they have selected, said program operations manager Richard Compagnon.

These can include bowling, therapeutic horseback riding, shopping to learn money-handling, restaurant dining for interaction with the public, Special Olympics and visits to state parks.

"Our goal is to get them moving and out into the community," he said.

He invites families to stop in to see how the client-centered program works.

"We have an open-door policy and invite anyone interested in our program to meet with us," Compagnon said.

"It is the individual who interviews us, not the other way around," he said. "We have a lot to offer and we have a lot of fun. This is their program -- not ours."

Compagnon, who has worked for 14 years as a licensed behavioral health specialist and a certified direct support professional instructor, is the company's staffing and training supervisor.

He said each center's activities are geared toward developing independent living skills and carrying out clients' "person-centered plans" -- individualized programs developed by a case worker, the program manager and the family or guardian. These goals can include socialization; money management and grocery shopping; daily living skills; and safety awareness, he said.

Funding largely is through MaineCare, he said. Families Matter is also a United Way of the Kennebec Valley agency.

Families Matter Inc. was informally organized in 1992 by a group of parents of special-needs young adults, who provided a half-day-a-week program to help their children make the transition from school to the community, according to McNaughton.

In 1996, the agency became incorporated, achieved tax-exempt status and developed a formal program recognized and funded by MaineCare and the Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services.

Staff members are all certified and the company pays all costs for additional training, Compagnon said. There is also a quality assurance team that monitors the programs and client progress.

Each center has a staff that includes a director and two direct-care providers, with per diem workers on call. The agency currently has an intern from the University of Maine at Augusta's Department of Mental Health and Human Services. For information, call 621-1023.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com