Nonprofit Kids in New Directions tells commissioners it serves about 200 families; seeks continued county support
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Summary
Leaders and staff of Kids in New Directions described program growth, school‑based services and individual client success stories, and asked the board to continue funding and support as the nonprofit faces space and funding pressures.
Leaders of the nonprofit Kids in New Directions told the Lapeer County Board of Commissioners the program now serves about 200 families and asked for continued county support as the group adjusts to new costs for rented office space.
The organization’s director described the program’s origins and growth, saying it started serving about 23 children in its first year and now works with hundreds of families through multiple programs for elementary, middle and high school students. The county provides core support for the program: the director told commissioners the county gives $20,000 toward the primary kindergarten‑through‑eighth‑grade program and that the nonprofit’s overall costs are larger, with one recent annual bill of about $65,000 that county mental‑health funding covered only partially; the director said that overall the program costs about $80,000 annually for one major program.
Chelsea, a caseworker and assistant director, told the board she served more than 80 students this past school year and described services such as one‑on‑one tutoring, grief support groups, help obtaining IDs for homeless teens and transportation for after‑school tutoring. A former client, Nick, told commissioners the program helped him after the death of his mother and grandmother and assisted with driver training and job placement; he said, “I’m grateful to have this program.”
Commissioners praised staff and volunteers and voted to approve the county’s support for the nonprofit as part of the meeting’s consent actions. Presenters said the group recently moved to new rented space at 350 Court Street, Suite 305 and that supervised‑visit services have expanded to serve other counties.
Commissioners and presenters discussed the nonprofit’s mix of funding — county support, school contracts, grants, self‑pay programs and limited CMH funding — and acknowledged continued fundraising and grant‑writing will be needed to sustain and grow services.
