Testifiers detail need to bolster adult transition services for students with disabilities
Policy Committee hosted tour and roundtable discussion at The Camphill School
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus August 4, 2026 | 12:40 PM
PHOENIXVILLE, Aug. 4 – As students living with intellectual or developmental disabilities prepare to leave school, many families believe the same level of support will be offered after graduation. But for many reasons, that is not reality. The House Majority Policy Committee traveled to Phoenixville on Tuesday for a tour and roundtable discussion to identify needs and solutions as it relates to young people with disabilities transitioning out of school years and into adult life.
“Today’s roundtable is about finding ways we can fundamentally fund opportunities for young people with disabilities to transition into adulthood and safely integrate into their communities. It’s important that we give every kid and adult a setting that best fits their situation,” said Rep. Paul Friel, (D-Chester), who co-hosted Tuesday’s roundtable. “Not only should we be making settings like this more accessible to people under 21, but to those who have entered adulthood as well.”
The Policy Committee visited The Camphill School Transition Program at Beaver Farm, a 133-acre farm in Phoenixville that helps students with intellectual and developmental disabilities ages 18-22 enter into adult life. Through a 40-week residential program or a day program for local students, The Camphill School offers craft and prevocational training to help students develop skills, social relationships and the tools they need to navigate their community. Students live and work alongside staff members throughout the program. This helps give students a strong sense of community while helping them thrive with hands-on learning in both work and home settings.
“I’ve been a part of this issue for the eight years I’ve been in office. I’m a big believer in the work that’s done here at The Camphill School and really want to see more communities have access to programs like these,” said Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester), who co-hosted Tuesday’s roundtable. “It’s my goal to make sure communities like this are part of our system of care in Pennsylvania.”
Due to Pennsylvania law, students with disabilities must graduate from their program the day before they turn 22, regardless of where they are in the program. They’re then left to live with family or find unlicensed residences, community homes, or other supported living facilities, many of which cannot offer the same level of services as settings like The Camphill School. Parents of students at the school recommend a change in state law to allow students to stay in school to finish out their program.
“My boys had the support, the love, and the services they needed to thrive. The day after their 22nd birthday, everything changed. We followed the state’s regulations and were forced to put them into group homes. After 5 different group homes in three years that featured law enforcement and ambulance rides, we realized we had no place for them,” said Jody Weaver, who’s twin boys attended The Camphill School. “Our kids have little to no choice and we need to do something for them.”
In Pennsylvania, The Camphill School is classified as an Intentional Community and Farmstead, which is considered as an isolating setting that removes people from society and community, meaning the state Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program will not fund them. But other states like Vermont, Massachusetts, and California have all experimented with work-life communities that can receive state funding. Pennsylvania also prohibits people with disabilities from living next to each other. Those are a few of the reasons there aren’t many settings like The Camphill School available in Pennsylvania, but it’s something stakeholders agree should change.
“We should be doing everything in our power to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities build the personal and professional skills needed to live independently in communities across the commonwealth. Programs like the one we visited today should be replicated elsewhere without bureaucratic red tape,” said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). “I’m looking forward to continuing the work on this issue with my colleagues in Harrisburg and finding ways to make it easier for programs like these to exist and thrive in Pennsylvania.
Tuesday’s roundtable discussion featured remarks from Guy Alma, Director of Development at The Camphill School for Children and Youth with Disabilities; Emma Brunner, Director of Delphi Provider; Stephanie Kilcoyne, the ID Deputy Administrator for the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities; Anna Thomas, who’s daughter attended The Camphill School; and Jody Weaver, who’s twin boys attended The Camphill School. Written testimony submitted for Tuesday’s roundtable discussion can be found here.