EVERETT — An Everett crisis center for at-risk youths will be allowed to stay open for now.
The Secure Crisis Residential Center at Denney Juvenile Justice Center closed its doors to young people Sunday after the state unexpectedly pulled funding for the facility, along with three others around the state. The cuts were expected to save about $1.2 million.
Lawmakers on Wednesday opted to restore about $550,000 to keep the centers open until the end of June. The number of beds in Everett, which serve five counties, was reduced to four from nine, said Craig Daly, assistant administrator for Snohomish County Superior Court.
“We’ve all pitched in to stay afloat and keep the doors open. It’s great news. We reopened as of (Wednesday) and took a kid in,” Daly said.
Still, the future of the centers remains uncertain as lawmakers attempt to address the state’s anticipated $8.3 billion deficit.
Money to run the facilities is not included in the governor’s budget, said Glenn Kuper, a spokesman for the state Office of Financial Management. Eliminating the state’s 63 beds would save $9.3 million in the next budget cycle, he said.
If legislators want to keep the state’s nine centers open they’ll have to cut from other programs, Kuper said.
The centers were chosen for elimination in part because they generally are not filled to capacity, said Robert Nelson, a spokesman for the Children’s Administration with the state Department of Social and Health Services.
It costs about $670,000 a year to run the Everett facility, which on average is only about a quarter full.
Last year the Everett center served about 500 kids, who on average stayed a bit over two days. It costs about $200 a bed per day, whether the bed is filled or not.
The center’s staff hope the four-month reprieve will give them time to explore other options for keeping the program. They’d like to investigate alternatives, such as allowing kids to stay longer to give social workers more time for placements, Daly said.
The secure centers were created in an effort to keep kids off the streets and connect them with social services, he said.
Only law enforcement officers can bring reported runaways to the centers. The kids, ages 12 to 17, can be held for up to five days.
They meet with state social workers, counselors and family mediators to help them get the resources they need, including drug and alcohol counseling or mental health services. Staff work to reunite the juveniles with their families.
While the program’s future is uncertain, Daly is hopeful the state’s lawmakers are interested in keeping the centers open.
“We’re alive for another day. We’re assuming that’s good news,” Daly said. “We’ll know more by April what the future holds.”
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
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