Circle of Friends, a comprehensive care service designed to help intellectually challenged adults, has announced that it will expand and relocate its administrative offices to the Washington Center, located at 127 E. Washington St.

The 6,000-square-foot space had been occupied by the Suffolk Department of Economic Development, which vacated the space to move into city-owned property earlier this year after eight years in the Washington Street space.

The Circle of Friends program provides a variety of social programming and health support services in a protective setting, according to a city news release about the move. The program’s ultimate goal is to promote independent living and to help individuals learn to use resources throughout the community.

Activities are designed to maximize the potential of each participant while increasing self esteem. The organization also operates other facilities in the area that offer supportive in-home, congregate residential and respite care services.

“We are pleased to be within the Downtown Suffolk business district and look forward to becoming an integral part of this community,” owner Valencia Ballard said in the release.

“Expansion of an existing business is a key ingredient to our economic development success,” Mayor Linda T. Johnson stated in the press release, “and we are very pleased that the Circle of Friends decided to expand their administrative offices within Suffolk.”