Good Shepherd Center for Exceptional Children was incorporated in 1963 as a non-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors comprised of community members, and licensed by the State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The Center was the first preschool in the area to provide therapeutic services for developmentally disabled children ages 3-7. The use of the facilities was donated by the congregation of the Good Shepherd Church in Park Forest, Illinois.

In 1967, due to increased enrollment and the need for additional services, Good Shepherd Center moved into a larger facility also donated by the congregation of the Flossmoor Community Church in Flossmoor Illinois. At this time, the Good Shepherd Center was awarded the first of several grants-in-aid from the Illinois Department of Mental Health, which has been the major funding source for the agencies’ programs.

In 1975, Good Shepherd Center amended the school’s purpose to providing services for children with disabilities age’s birth to 3 through the Early Intervention program. In 1976, Good Shepherd Center was the first in the state to develop and In-Home Respite program. In 1984, the Center opened one of the first of four Lekotek Therapeutic Toy Lending Libraries in the United States. The year 2001 marked the introduction of the Tots Together program, which integrates children with and without developmental disabilities into a Pre-school program. The following year the Center began to offer Occupational, Physical, and Speech therapy for children over the age of 3. While Good Shepherd Center has always offered seminars and workshops while providing a Resource Center for families to borrow books, articles, videos and audios regarding child development and disabilities, in 2003 the Center collaborated with I-CARE (Illinois Curing Autism Through Research and Education) to augment the Center’s resources specifically for families of children with Autism. Today, Good Shepherd Center continues to provide high quality and professional services for children and their families.