A major milestone was achieved when the last child left the state hospital system in 1987.
There were 292 children living in state hospitals in 1982. The number was reduced to 66 in 1983. Finally, in January 1987, the magic number "zero" was attained. The first priority of plaintiff attorneys in the Welsch case was to ensure that children were the first to move out of the state institutions.
The last child left in 1987.