Planned shelter to hold 20 children

The Journal staff

West Bend Washington County is moving ahead with plans to build an $887,000 shelter that would house 20 abused and neglected children.

The county's Building and Space Needs Planning Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to develop a site analysis and final cost estimate for the 9,018- square-foot building.

The building would include housing for 20 juveniles, two living areas, a lobby, a visiting room and administration space. It would be located on one of four sites on the county campus:

North of Fair Park School on Indiana Ave.

A site adjacent to the County Jail.

A site at the rear of the Samaritan Home.

A location between the Public Agency Center and the Senior Center.

The county contracts with Nova Services in West Bend for shelter care. Last year, the average daily population of the eight- bed facility was 4.4 youths. However, there were 30 days in 1994 when the facility was full at some point in the day.

Overall, there were 221 youths placed in the facility, of which 125 were repeat clients. Eighty-three females and 138 males spent time at the shelter in 1994. Several Proposals

County officials were presented with four proposals for the building, which ranged from a bare-bones facility with 15 beds at a cost of $826,000, to a 20-bed facility for $929,876 with several small offices that could be used for after-hours mental health and social service staffers.

Cost estimates include the costs of site development, furniture and equipment, building permits, and architecture and engineering fees basically everything needed to move in and occupy the building.

Staffing levels would remain the same with either a 15- or 20-bed facility.

"It would behoove us to look at a 20-bed facility vs. a 15-bed facility with the growth in the county," Sheriff Robert Schulteis said. "It would give us more flexibility in separating groups of individuals within the building. For the additional $60,000 in cost, I feel it would be money well spent."

Don Ryd, director of the county's Department of Social Services, agreed. "I have to agree, especially with the proposed changes to the Juvenile Code, which could double our current usage of shelter care," Ryd said. Mandatory Detention

One proposed change being discussed by state lawmakers would allow a judge or social worker to place a child in shelter care for up to 30 days. The average stay in 1994 was 6.3 days.

"That would be the result of a dispositional decision by a judge or a sanction decision by a social worker," Ryd said. "Right now, shelter care is not used as a sanction at all, or as a dispositional alternative. But it is used now pending a disposition, almost as a holding area. The change would make it more of a penalty."

Once an architect is hired, it is possible that additional office space could be added to the building, providing it is cost- effective and fits in with the overall building plan, Ryd said.

"I get concerned when the emphasis on office space outstrips the discussion of space for the children," said Sherlyn Stiewe, a County Board supervisor. "We've got to focus on the shelter care facility itself."

However, Ryd said, the additional office space could come in handy down the road.

Copyright 1995
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.