RONAN — For families of adults with autism, keeping their loved ones close by is a big deal.
Now, thanks to a grant, Jake's Farm in the Dell in Ronan is one step closer to making that a reality.
"My low-functioning son has been in Mississippi for almost six years. With COVID, I think it was two years before I saw him," shared Dawn Secord, a mother of two autistic sons.
Secord had to take one of her sons out of Montana to get the support he needed.
"We're not going to be around forever to take care of them. They have to have a place to go," she told MTN.
Julie Janssen, co-founder of Jake's Farm in the Dell, said leaving the state for care is a common situation for adults with autism.
"We know numerous people that have sent their kids away to receive care that we can be providing in the state of Montana. There's no reason that those residents couldn't be here and can't be here."
Now, strides are being made to create a proactive living facility in Ronan in honor of the Janssen's late son Jake.
"The reality of what we were facing is now being recognized by the State of Montana," stated Janssen.
The 2023 legislature established the Montana Autism Facilities Grant Program from which $400,000 was given to Jake's Farm in the Dell.
"It was the realization that this is a fight worth fighting, a culmination of 6.5 years of work and being told no repeatedly and finally being told, yes," Janssen explained.
Jake's Farm in the Dell will be a place for adults with autism to live independently while also getting the support they need to thrive. For their first year in service, Janssen believes that four individuals will get to call the Farm in the Dell home.
The facility may also bring Secord's son closer to home.
"I live in Columbia Falls. So, if he gets to Ronan, that's one step further. And who knows, maybe I'll come down here and live and be with him because they need our support, you know, these autistic adults, they just want to be loved and accepted," she detailed.
Jake's Farm in the Dell plans to welcome residents starting next summer.
