July 28, 2023 6:40p
(WGTD)---A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week for Racine County’s new Youth Development and Care Center in Caledonia.
The center, funded mostly by the state, is designed to facilitate and complement the latest strategies for dealing with delinquent youth. It’s the first regional center of its kind—designed to replace troubled centrally-located facilities run by the state.
Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave, who has a social services background, championed the idea of Racine County playing host to a regional center. But Delagrave said the real heroes are Caledonia Village Board trustees. Despite opposition to siting the facility in Caledonia, the board voted to approve Delagrave's proposal after the City of Racine turned it down. "It's not easy to lead the way on issues that affect at-risk youth," he said.
State Department of Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr was among those who spoke. He paid tribute to the county’s history of dealing with delinquents. "Racine County quite honestly is a leader in how they handle juveniles in the criminal justice system," he said. "Their program that already exists is something we looked at as a model.
As good as the existing model might be, Racine County Human Services Director Hope Otto said it’s not good enough, indicating that the the program's facilities are limiting the potential for greater success.
The new center is going up just north of Batten Airport. It’s scheduled to be up and running a little over a year from now.
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