The Arc of Dallas began on March 9, 1951, as the Dallas Association for Retarded Children, when a small group of parents got together to develop strategies to improve the education of their children with mental retardation. The Arc of Dallas is now one of the largest Arc chapters in Texas and serves people throughout the North Texas area, including Collin, Dallas and Rockwall Counties. The national Arc movement, representing over 850 chapters throughout the country, is the largest volunteer organization of its kind in the nation.