Celebrating 40 years of The Bell Center—what this means for Birmingham

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Betty Bell, founding director, and TBC's first classroom (The Bell Center)

In 1984, members of The Service Guild of Birmingham and a developmental nurse from Texas named Betty Bell joined forces to start Birmingham’s premiere early intervention program.

40 years later, The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs continues to provide the highest quality early intervention services to infants and toddlers who are at risk for developmental delay.

Here’s the amazing story.

1984, Birmingham, Alabama

(The Bell Center) the service guild 1980

The Service Guild of Birmingham, a women’s volunteer organization, was founded in 1958 with the mission to serve children with special needs.

Because schools weren’t required to provide special education services to children then, many local children with disabilities went to programs at the Opportunity Center School, and The Service Guild could live out its mission through volunteering there.

In 1979, Congress enacted the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which required schools to provide special education services to children.

The children of The Opportunity Center School left to go into school systems, which was a good thing, but it left The Service Guild wondering how they would fulfill their mission of serving special needs children.

Meanwhile, in the early 1970s, UAB started the Center for Developmental Learning Disorders (CDLD), funded through a federal grant, and needed to find someone to run the early intervention toddler program.

Enter Betty Bell

Betty Bell was a highly qualified and respected developmental nurse, trained in Texas, Florida and Washington. UAB hired her to run the CDLD’s early intervention program until the funding ran out. Already committed to her life in Birmingham, Betty went to work at the Jefferson County Health Department.

Here’s where the two worlds collided: The Service Guild was looking for a new way to serve children with special needs, and Betty Bell, the pioneer of early intervention in Birmingham, was ready for a new opportunity.

In April of 1984, Ann Holloway, a Service Guild member whose son Scott had received services at the CDLD from Betty, suggested to her fellow Service Guild members that perhaps they should start their own early intervention program, and she knew just the lady to help.

After meeting with Betty, the Service Guild leadership agreed. They hired her to help them start a program, and in September of 1984, the Early Intervention Program (EIP) started in a borrowed Sunday school classroom at Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood.

Because of Betty Bell’s profound impact serving children, the program was renamed The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in 2002.

Throughout the past 40 years, The Bell Center remains the only center-based transdisciplinary early intervention center offering comprehensive therapy for thousands of Alabama children.

With the expansion of therapy programs, highly trained staff and countless volunteers, one thing still reigns true: Birmingham needs The Bell Center.

Let’s break down the numbers:

7 specialized therapy programs

The Bell Center is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental delay.

Children come from across the state with various diagnoses and special needs. However, unlike other early intervention providers, a diagnosis or specific percentage of delay is not required to attend.

Each child who enters their program is served by a therapy team that includes a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist and an early childhood special education teacher. This unique approach ensures that every development area is addressed at each therapy session.

The Bell Center offers seven unique therapy programs including 1:1 therapy and parent coaching for infants and group sessions.

Hundreds of volunteers

If you’ve ever visited The Bell Center, then you know about the heroes in blue vests.

These individuals are volunteers provided by The Service Guild of Birmingham as well as volunteers from the community.

“We work very closely with The Service Guild of Birmingham. They are our lifetime partner in this amazing program that provides so much hope for our families.”

Jeannie Colquett, Executive Director, The Bell Center

In the All About Me toddler class, each child is paired with a volunteer who is focused on helping them with their individual goals.

This 1:1 approach is what makes The Bell Center so unique and a huge reason they continue to grow.

34 dedicated staff members

What started as Betty Bell and five children has blossomed into a thriving center of 34 people including 14 leadership, administrative and support staff, along with 20 full-time therapy staff members including:

Physical therapists
Speech therapists
Occupational therapists
Early childhood special education teachers

More than 200 children receive services each year!

But, the growth doesn’t stop there.

“In the past three years, our enrollment has increased by 60%. Betty never turned a child away, and we’re committed to that as well.

We’re here to serve the childern and families who need us.”

Jeannie Colquett, Executive Director, The Bell Center

2,500+ families served

(L-R) The Price family, Ashley and Rhett (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

More than 2,500 children from 24 Alabama counties and three surrounding states have received crucial early intervention services at The Bell Center, and the organization is well prepared to serve thousands more in the future.

Meet a couple of the families this organization has served:

Every family I’ve met through The Bell Center has expressed the same gratitude for the staff, programming and community it provides.

It’s as simple as this: the first time people interact with this organization, they see clearly why it’s important.

Get involved in The Bell Center for early intervention services, individualized programs and an exceptional community. Support their mission and upcoming events by following them on Facebook + Instagram.

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