Mercy Meadows Developmental Homes was born from a simple question: what if a care home actually felt like home? Three years in, that question still guides every door we open and every plate we set.
We exist to dismantle the quiet loneliness that too often shadows life with a developmental disability. Through warm residential settings, individualized care plans, and a relentless commitment to dignity, we help our residents build lives that are not only safer — but fuller, prouder, and more connected.
Our work is rooted in Adelanto, California, but our standard is global: the kind of place we would happily entrust our own siblings, children, and parents to.
Mercy Meadows Developmental Homes was founded in 2023 and received federal tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in June of that same year. We are registered with the IRS under Employer Identification Number 85-4373428 and classified within the Human Services — Multipurpose and Other category.
Our founders came from backgrounds in special education, intellectual & developmental disability (IDD) nursing, and family advocacy. After years of watching adults with developmental disabilities cycle between under-resourced placements, hospitals, and lonely apartments, they pooled their experience to build something different — a home, not a facility; a household, not a roster.
The first Mercy Meadows residence opened its doors with six residents, two full-time caregivers, a garden bed, and a stubborn refusal to ever serve a frozen dinner. The model worked because it was personal — and because the people we serve thrived in an environment that finally treated them as adults with preferences, friendships, and futures.
"We don't run a program. We keep a home. The difference shows up in every meal, every morning routine, every birthday cake."
Our residents are not their support levels, their case files, or their challenges. They are neighbors, siblings, friends, and adults — and they are treated that way from the moment they wake up to the moment we say goodnight.
Real growth — learning to cook a meal, ride a bus, regulate an emotion — happens on a timeline that does not appear on a quarterly report. We staff, plan, and budget for the slow, sacred work of becoming.
As a public charity, we hold ourselves accountable to the families who trust us and the donors who fund us. Our finances, programs, and outcomes are reported openly, and every gift is honored with care.
No one should age into invisibility. We actively integrate our residents into the life of Adelanto — through volunteer work, faith communities, employers, libraries, and friendships across the neighborhood.
Mercy Meadows is led by a small executive team and a working board of directors composed of family members, IDD professionals, faith leaders, and local business owners. Our direct-care staff are CPR/First-Aid certified, trauma-informed, and receive ongoing training in person-centered planning, positive behavior support, medication administration, and disability rights.
Our caregivers, nurses, program coordinators, and house managers are the heart of Mercy Meadows. We pay fair wages, invest in continuing education, and protect our team from burnout, because the people who care for our residents deserve to be cared for too.
This is how we keep turnover low, trust high, and the household calm — the way any good home should feel.
Whether you give an hour, a dollar, or a referral — you help us keep the porch light on.
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