The mission of St. Madeleine Sophies Center is to empower adults with developmental disabilities to discover, experience and realize their full potential as members of the greater community. St. Madeleine Sophies Center is named after the 19th century French nun, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, foundress of the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800. In 1966, sisters from the Society of the Sacred Heart opened St. Madeleine Sophies Center with one classroom to teach developmentally disabled preschool-age students. The public school system assumed the responsibility of training these students in 1972 and the center changed its focus to serve graduate-age adults with developmental disabilities ranging in age from 22-75 and coming from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. St. Madeleine Sophie s Center is headquartered in El Cajon, Calif., where it employs nearly 80 people.