The Office on Youth Provides Critical Services to At - Risk Youth
The Office on Youth (OOY) is a function of our local government that focuses on juvenile delinquency prevention in Orange County. Additionally, the office works with youth who are at - risk to provide the necessary services they need with the main goal of keeping them in their community and helping them become productive members of their community as they continue to grow older. The office serves all ages of youth in Orange County, as well as their parents.
The programs offered serve a number of purposes, specifically, prevention and intervention. The Office operates four (4) state licensed school - age childcare programs. These programs provide numerous activities each day including a snack (with two USDA approved components), homework help/time, arts & crafts, large motor activities, and field trips.
Additional programs include:
• Annual Father - Daughter and Mother - Son dances
• After - Prom for Orange County High School Juniors, Seniors, and their dates
• Michael ’ s Gift (a charitable fund to assist parents with paying for extracurricular activities),
• The Garvis Huff Outstanding Youth and Youth Advocate Awards which recognize the positive things our youth and advocates are doing in their community. • Two mentoring programs (that operate during a normal school year) to mentor youth, as well as help with math and reading skills.
• Tobacco and obesity prevention work
• School supply drives and donations for students in need
• Parent training programs throughout the year to help parents with parenting skills among other things such as preparing for college (annual college tours as partners with the Extension office and the career coach at the high school).
The largest program the OOY manages is the Children ’ s Services Act (CSA) program. It is a partnership with the State ’ s Office of Children ’ s Services (OCS). This program was enacted in 1993 by the Virginia General Assembly to establish a state pool of funds to purchase services for at - risk youth and their families who meet certain mandates. This collaborative approach is child - centered, family - focused, and community based when addressing the needs of the youth and families. The goal is to provide the least restrictive environment possible for the youth. The decisions are made by two state - mandated teams. The Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT) meet with the youth/families to decide on a plan of action and what services are needed. The Community policy and Management Team (CPMT), the governing team of the program, review the cases and approve funding where appropriate. The OCS oversees the program from the state side and annual audits are conducted to ensure compliance with state and local regulations.
Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA) is another program that is a state and local partnership. The OOY Director works with the local Court Services Unit to provide services to at - risk youth who have interactions with the Juvenile Court Services Unit. Programs include community service placements, specialized counseling arrangements, GPS monitoring, and more.
The Youth Council is a program that consists of students in grades 8 – 12 who act as liaisons between the
Page 25 | May, 2021
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter