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Residents urge full funding for Office on Youth, cite truancy services and community supports
Summary
Several residents urged council to approve the full funding request for the Office on Youth, describing the office as a key resource for truancy intervention, juvenile services coordination and community outreach. Speakers described weekly truancy meetings, mentor referrals and mobile outreach programs.
Lou Anne Lynch, who identified herself as a member of the city’s Youth Commission and a former Augusta County school counselor, urged Staunton City Council to approve the Office on Youth’s full budget request during the Matters from the Public segment on March 13.
"I urge you to please make a full approval of their budget request," Lynch said, citing the office’s role in truancy intervention, juvenile-services coordination and community outreach. Lynch described the Office on Youth as a primary resource for school counselors: staff organize truancy intervention (Check and Connect), coordinate FAPT-style meetings (family assessment), connect families to community services, run a mobile community outreach bus and support juvenile crime-control efforts.
Lynch provided statistics that she said illustrate the challenge: "Kate Collins' truancy rate is 42 percent. Shelburne's is 38 percent. The national average is 16 percent," she said, and argued that Office on Youth services such as mentoring and family outreach help keep students in school and connected to services. Lynch told council the office also helps parents enroll children in preschool and helps coordinate local partners when students need wraparound services.
Speakers asked council to approve the Office on Youth request in the current budget cycle; staff did not take a vote at the meeting. Lynch closed by urging council to consider the office a vital community resource and to support the requested funding.
