Children’s Village outlines renovations, staffing and community programs tied to juvenile justice reforms

Barb Hanke, director of public services for Oakland County, and Heather Caltagera, manager for Children’s Village, briefed the Board of Commissioners on May 27 on work underway to align the county’s juvenile detention and care facility with recent state juvenile justice reforms and evidence‑based practices.

Hanke and Heather Caltagera said Children’s Village has three distinct state licenses — secure detention, residential treatment (secure and nonsecure) and shelter care — and that the shelter program is the only one on campus that serves children placed for abuse or neglect under a contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Hanke said Children’s Village meets and at times exceeds Division of Child Welfare Licensing staffing standards, and described staffing ratios of as low as one staff to one youth in the shelter program for acute needs.

Why it matters: county officials and Children’s Village staff said work at the campus is being guided by the Michigan task force on juvenile justice reform and a package of bills passed in December 2023 that officials said reduced fines, expanded diversion, required assessments at decision points and increased reimbursement for community‑based programs. County presenters framed facility changes as part of a broader push to reduce detention use and improve outcomes for youth.

What staff told commissioners: Hanke said Children’s Village has used local ARPA funds to inventory resources and complete a campus‑wide assessment. “We will be bringing the final recommendations from AECOM to you soon,” she said, describing proposals to replace institutional layouts with smaller pod‑style units, increase natural light, and add outdoor access and communal support spaces. Caltagera said the facility is moving from a largely institutional design toward “trauma responsive” spaces that she said staff and residents requested. Caltagera quoted a resident saying, “we need light where you can look out and see trees, not bricks and wires.”

Programs and facilities: presenters described short‑, intermediate‑ and long‑term projects already underway, including a campus training center, a detention library with more than 1,000 titles and a youth advisory council; new literacy partnerships (Beyond Basics) and employment outreach with Center for Employment Opportunities; a reduced capacity at Mandy’s Place shelter from 10 to 8 because of residents’ acute needs; and plans for a day‑reporting (“day justice”) program that county staff said will start June 16 with two county vans to transport participants to services on campus.

State and federal oversight: Hanke said Children’s Village recently hosted an unannounced audit of Mandy’s Place with positive findings and that the facility was selected as a site for a federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention visit tied to the state’s audit of compliance. The presenters also noted Heather Caltagera’s appointment by Governor Whitmer to a state residential advisory committee and her vice presidency of the Michigan Juvenile Detention Association.

Financing and next steps: presenters said the county has appropriated ARPA and other funds to several projects and is pursuing a resource inventory, gap analysis (due mid‑June) and a multi‑year campus assessment by AECOM to shape a five‑ to ten‑year plan. When asked about federal appropriations or earmarks as a funding source, Hanke said the county has not yet approached congressional or state appropriators and is first completing the visioning and cost estimates.

Commissioner questions: Commissioners asked about day‑reporting logistics (Caltagera: “The program will begin on June 16, and, yes, we will be sending out 2 vans every day to transport the kids.”), the timing of funding requests to state and federal officials, and capacity and staffing tradeoffs tied to physical upgrades. Hanke said final recommendations from AECOM and a juvenile resource directory will be brought back to the board and that the county will publicize a logo and media campaign tied to Children’s Village later this year.

Ending: Children’s Village staff asked commissioners to attend the forthcoming campaign reveal and AECOM recommendations presentation and supplied contact emails for follow‑up.