Arc Taft

Arc Taft provides daily living instruction, supported employment opportunities, and residential assistance to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout western Kern County. Established in 1955 by local parents as the Westside Training Center, the nonprofit operates from its historic campus on Van Buren Street in Taft. As an independent local chapter vendorized through the Kern Regional Center, the organization equips participants with practical skills, vocational competencies, and self-advocacy knowledge to achieve full integration in community life.

The community-based day program combines group classroom instruction with frequent neighborhood learning experiences. Participants practice functional life skills, socialization, interpersonal communication, and self-advocacy in structured group settings. Adjacent to its main facility, the organization developed and maintains the ARC Park and Garden, an outdoor community space where clients cultivate fresh produce, engage in physical exercise, and acquire hands-on vocational training in grounds maintenance and horticulture.

Supported living services provide personalized in-home assistance, enabling individuals to reside in private homes of their choosing. Support staff assist clients with daily routines including grocery shopping, meal preparation, personal budgeting, banking, and household upkeep. A dedicated transportation fleet composed of wheelchair-accessible buses and passenger vans provides vital transit for participants residing in Taft and surrounding rural settlements such as Fellows, Maricopa, Cuyama, and Buttonwillow, ensuring reliable access to day programs, medical specialists in Bakersfield, and weekend social activities.