RALEIGH, NC — Healthy Blue, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Medicaid managed care plan, has provided funding to help TLC strengthen its Individual & Family Services (IFS) program. The grant will expand access to developmental and behavioral health support for children, adults, and families across Wake County and surrounding communities.

The $100,000 grant will help TLC provide 300 individuals with developmental and behavioral health assessments through its First Steps and Outpatient Treatment programs, while ensuring that 90 percent of families referred through community partners successfully engage in services. Funding will also enhance TLC’s capacity to deliver care through its licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, and outreach coordinators—both onsite and via telehealth.

“For nearly six decades, TLC has worked to help individuals of all abilities live their fullest lives,” said Sarah Crawford, CEO of TLC. “At TLC, we believe every person deserves timely access to high-quality developmental and behavioral health support to ensure their best outcomes. With this grant from Healthy Blue, we can reach more families with the tailored expertise, compassion, and continuity of care they deserve.”

TLC’s IFS program provides a continuum of care that includes:

• First Steps: Developmental and autism-specific assessments that connect families to therapies, behavioral health care, and community resources.
• Outpatient Treatment: Psychotherapy and family therapy addressing social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.
• Outreach Services: Community-based support for children and families facing housing instability or other challenges, offering screenings, parent training, and wraparound assistance.

“This grant represents far more than funding. It’s an investment in families,” said Brittany Constance, Director of Strategic Impact & Outreach at TLC. “With Healthy Blue’s support, we can expand our clinical and outreach work to reach more children in critical windows of development and ensure families have access to care that changes the course of their lives.”

Since 1969, TLC has served thousands of North Carolina’s children and adults with I/DD through various programs. This continued partnership with Healthy Blue builds on our joint, ongoing commitment to deliver person-centered care, promote inclusion, and strengthen systems of support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.

For more information about TLC’s current programs or to learn how to get involved, visit www.nctlc.org.

About TLC
TLC empowers individuals of all abilities to live their fullest life. For 56 years, TLC has supported people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering comprehensive services that help them grow, connect, and thrive. Based in Raleigh, TLC supports more than 2,000 children, adults, and families each year across North Carolina through on-site and community-based initiatives that foster inclusion and improve quality of life. TLC’s services include therapies, early interventions, and home-based supports; community homes and a day program; and care navigation and family support.