1. Family

2. Inspiration

3. Letter

4. Letter's Response

5. New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children

6. Service During the Development of the Organization

7. Laura Etta (Sparks) Blossfeld

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The New Jersey Association for Retarded Children started with one letter to the The Record, the local newsletter of Bergan New Jersey. In 1946 Laura Etta (Sparks) Blossfeld wrote a letter to the Bergen Record that invited parents to come together and create a better world for their children..^[1]. This letter started a movement at focused on giving mentally ill children the best life possible in the state of New Jersey and later the states around it^[2].

Laura Etta (Sparks) Blossfeld was born on November 4, 1912 in ^[3] Monmouth County, New Jersey and died at age of 89 on September 29, 2002 in Bloomfield (Essex County) New Jersey ^[4]. Laura was laid to rest in Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, Essex County NJ ^[5].

She earned up to a full four-year high school education and became a loving mother and hardworking house wife ^[3]. Laura devoted her life to her family and children with disabilities. She is accredited as one of the founders of the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children which is currently known as the Arc of Bergen and Passaic county on present day New Jersey ^[6]. She served as a Secretary for the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children and was a member of the publicity committee in 1952 to 1953 ^[7]. From October of 1948 to February of 1963 she was the editor of the organization’s published work, The Parent’s voice ^[6].

Family

Her mother was Cecilia (Reisner) Sparks (December 27th, 1883- march 1st, 1962) and her father was Abram Wooley Sparks (February 25th, 1890- November 28th 1968) ^[8]. Laura had two siblings, a brother, Morris Alexander Sparks (August 3rd ,1918- June 25th, 1997), and a sister, Ruth Greenwood (born 1921- May 2nd, 2014) ^[8].

Laura was married on March 24, 1935 to Albert R. Blossfeld (June 16th, 1909- may 1st, 2000) and had four children; Marjorie Blossfeld Lynch Shoemaker (August 10th, 1934-living), Richard Paul Blossfeld (1937- December 2nd, 1960) and Lawrence Blossfeld (1939-1946), Thomas George Blossfeld (March 3rd, 1948-living) ^[9].

In 1940 the Sparks family lived at 515 Terhune Street, Teaneck, Bergen, New Jersey ^[3]. Albert worked as a manager and Laura was a house wife ^[3]. Albert completed an education up to his second year of high school while Laura completed up to her fourth year of high school ^[3].

Inspiration

Laura and Albert’s second child, Richard (Ricky) Paul Blossfeld had a learning disability ^[10]. Ricky's slow development was attributed to a heart defect ^[11]. The family considered him slow but normal, that is, until he was three years old. His younger brother Lawrence surpassed his performance, this prompted the Blossfeld family to seek professional advice ^[11]. Ricky was diagnosed by a psychologist as being "50 percent retarded" ^[11].

Inspiration for a support group of parents for parents who have disabled children came to Laura when she was walking with Richard ^[10]. Laura said in an interview in 1990 that she compared the other kids in the neighborhood to her son (Richard) and noticed large equalities ^[10]. She did not like the notable differences between her son and the children his age. She decided both her son and her deserved a network of families like them ^[10].

Letter

Laura’s letter is described as "the one that started it all" by the Arc of Bergan and Passaic county ^[12]. In 1946 Laura submitted a letter to the local newsletter, the Bergan Evening Record ^[12] . The letter was published on October 12, 1946^[12] and read:

“Dear Sir: There are several hundred families in this country faced with the problem of a mentally deficient or mentally handicapped child. Each year many more are unwillingly, and usually unexpectedly, added to this number.

There are any number of ways in which a person may react to this tragic news, depending upon the individual. The most realistic as well as the most idealistic reaction is to face the problem squarely, find out as much about it as one can, and assume a matter-of-fact attitude toward the child and his difficulty. Above all it should be realized that the child’s condition is no reflection upon himself or his family and certainly no fault of his or his mother’s. However, this is not always so easy to do, and it is little wonder that so many parents, particularly mothers, become bitter, defiant, defensive, seclusive and evasive, desperately grief-stricken or just plain martyrs when faced with this trying situation.

The thought uppermost in mind of most parents is: “What can I do to help my child?” The answer is usually; “Nothing much, except to provide for his care as best as you can to lead a normal life yourself.” But there is another larger answer, which lies in the fact that there are thousands of children like him everywhere. That answer is that each parent can ultimately help his own child by doing something to help all children similarly afflicted. If each parent would try in his own small way to do something to promote the general welfare of all mentally handicapped children, then the possibility of his own child’s being well treated and eventually helped would be that much greater.

Therefore I suggest an organization for all parents of mentally retarded children particularly for those with children under 15 years of age. It could also be open to professional workers interested in their welfare. It might be called Parents of Retarded Children Association or perhaps Retarded Children’s Assistance Association. Its aim and objectives would be;

For parents to get together and discuss their mutual problems and thus encourage and assist one another.

To act as a sort of P.T.A. to state institutions, not to interfere in their administration, but to help in much the same way that a well run P.T.A. works in a public school.

To form committees to visit private schools and nursing homes and make descriptive lists for interested parents.

To have a list of experienced sympathetic mothers available to call on and encourage new mothers recently acquainted with their heartbreaking problem.

If the organization reaches the fund-raising stage, through benefits, entertainments, and the like to use those funds to help desperate needy cases and to endow well run laboratories engaged in scientific research into the causes-and, we hope, someday the cures-of mental deficiencies.

Perhaps to conduct publicity campaigns to enlighten and soften the general attitude toward mental deficiency.

This venture should be open to all parents, whether their children are at home or in public or private institutions. So come on: you parents of Bergen County. Lift your chins and get together and form what may well prove to be the first chapter in a nation-wide organization. All those interested might write notes to this column. Although this letter is appearing with only initials, if enough people are sincerely interested, I will gladly give my full name and address at a later date.

L.S.B.”^[12]

Letter's Response

Laura’s call to action was a success, the amount of letters and calls she received prompted her to set up a meeting in her own home on December 21, 1946^[13]. After a long winter night of discussion, the group of parents decided to reach out for professional help^[13]. Dr. Lloyd N. Yepsen, who was the director of the Division of Classification and Education in the State Department of Institutions and Agencies, and Miss Vincentz Cianci, who was the supervisor of Home Training for the Department, volunteered as professional counselors for the parents^[13].

The second meeting of the group took place on June 10, 1947 at the local YMCA^[13]. The efforts of Laura’s letter and invites from Dr. Yepsen and Miss Cianci resulted in a total attendance of 41 people^[13]. It was at this meeting that Laura was elected Secretary^[13]. The group also decided at this meeting that the members will pull together all of the books and literature they can find to create a library on mental deficiency^[13].

New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children

In October of 1947 the group called themselves the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children^[13]. The official name, monthly meetings, and marketing brought attention to the group and increased membership. In early 1948 a four page pamphlet was printed in order to invite parents to join the movement^[14]. The slogan of the pamphlet was "You will find among these parents an understanding and a feeling of fellowship which you will probably not find elsewhere; you will become acquainted with the most recent developments in the care and training of retarded children; and you will have an opportunity to work with others to make the lives of retarded children happier and more useful." ^[14]

In September of 1948, the Newark News, the local TV station carried the headline, "Retarded Children's Group Takes Shape — New Parents' Unit Sets Open Session for September 14 at St. Mary's."^[14] It is estimated that around 200 parents attended the meeting which resulted in the creation of the Newark (later Essex) Unit of Parents for Retarded Children^[14].

Laura was responsible for the editing of The Parents Voice, a monthly newsletter of the Paterson Group designated in the masthead as the "Bergen-Passaic Unit of the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children."^[14]

In May of 1949 the Parents Group for Retarded Children was recognized by the state of New Jersey. Laura was accredited as one of the 10 people responsible for the group’s official incorporation^[14].

In January of 1951, Laura opened her home to the parents of the group so that they could discuss their problems, experiences and ideas in greater detail. Originally, Miss Cianci assisted and facilitated the parent discussions^[14]. In 1955, Bernard White the psychologist for the Essex Unit, lead group counselling for parents of the organization^[14]. Some of the therapy groups offered focused on parents of children with similar disabilities^[14]. These therapy sessions and support group meetings continued past 1968^[14].

In April of 1953 the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children changed its name to the New Jersey Association for Retarded Children^[15].

Service During the Development of the Organization

On March 6, 1949 the association rented enough busses to transport 40 parents to visit their kids housed in the mental intuitions of New Jersey known as New Lisbon, Vineland and Woodbine. This made a difference in both the parents and children’s lives^[16]. A majority of parents in Bergen & Passaic County did not own cars and therefore, could not see their children, some of which had gone years without physical contact^[16].

The New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children partnered with the institutions to help the patients without families. Members of the group could symbolically adopt a patient and send them cards and gifts on holidays and their birthdays^[16]. Some members would go to the institutions to visit the patients and take them on trips to get them outside of the hospital^[16].

The branches of the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children began to raise funds for the mental institutions. In March 1949, the combined efforts of the Bergen-Passaic and Essex Units resulted in a donation $400^[17]. The money was donated to equip a classroom at Woodbine State Colony to better educate the patients^[17].

In June of 1954 the Bergen-Passaic Unit helped support a full-time diagnostic, classifications, and treatment clinic at St. Mary's Hospital^[18]. The clinic was discontinued in 1967 but relocated to Paterson county when Maternal and Child Health funds became available^[18]. The efforts of the Morris Unit (a branch of th New Jersey Parents Group for retarded Children) paid off in September of 1959, when the first federally aided evaluation clinic of New Jersey opened in the Morristown Memorial Hospital^[18].

Beginning in September of 1948, the units of the group agreed to start classes that would train and educate disabled children who were denied public school admittance^[18]. The classes proved that disabled children could benefit from training and made communities aware of the fact that disabled children can be equally productive^[18]. Classroom successes and community concern were key factors leading to the enactment of the Beadleston legislation of 1954^[18].

The success of the schools led the New Jersey Association for Retarded Children to start offering Day-care in 1957^[19]. The Division of Mental Retardation of the State Department of Institutions and Agencies thought of the day care programs as an alternative to the enrollment in a residential center^[19]. This meant that families could take care of a severely disabled child or family member in their own home. This caused the Division of Mental Retardation to subsidize centers operated by the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children units in 1964^[19]. The support of State funds, improved day care program's quantity and quality. Within the next two years (1967) 18 units were operating day care programs in every county of New Jersey^[19]

In 1951, the Bergen-Passaic Unit created a vocational training class for disabled teenage males^[19]. The Occupational Training Class began on December 3 in the Paterson YMCA with a total class size of 12 students^[19]. This class laid the ground work for future workshops hosted by the New Jersey Parents Group for Retarded Children. Classes taught basic mathematics, printing, spelling, handicrafts, and the fundamentals of vocational training^[20]. The Occupational Center of Essex County (OCEC) became the first licensed work shop when it opened in Maplewood New Jersey in 1954.^[21]

Laura Etta (Sparks) Blossfeld

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