MARDS mission is to serve the needs of our community, by providing services to families with children and young adults who are mentally or developmentally disabled and unable to access services during after-school and vacation periods.

In MARDS, parents of moderate to severely challenged children find a developmentally appropriate program in a nurturing environment that is inclusive of typical children, with scheduling designed to allow these parents the freedom to maintain productive lives of their own.

In 1986, Metro Atlanta Respite & Developmental Services, Inc. (MARDS) was founded to address a critical community need. Known at the time as Atlanta Respite Day Care Center, Inc.,

MARDS opened its doors to 24 moderately and severely disabled school-age children who participated in its first Summer Enrichment Program in June 1987. Its Weekend Respite and After School programs were soon added. Early Childhood and Pre-Kindergarten programs were added as parents and caregivers continued to request assistance in the strenuous task of caring for their disabled children. MARDS continues its tradition of serving the community, by providing an increasingly wider variety of services to families of both developmentally challenged and typical children.  For more information, please take a look at our Programs