County hears pitch for full staffing of China Spring Youth Camp as state share rises
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Summary
China Spring Youth Camp director told the Douglas County commissioners the facility now receives roughly half its funding from the state and that adding about 10 full-time positions would let it operate at full capacity, reducing county detention costs and wait times, officials said.
Jessica Stocking, director of China Spring Youth Camp, told the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners on March 24 that the camp serves youth from 16 counties with a program that integrates education, mental health services and family engagement. “The state provides us half of our funding,” Stocking said, adding that last biennium the split was 44% state and 56% counties.
Stocking said the camp currently employs 39 full-time equivalents and estimates about 10 additional positions would be needed to run the facility at full capacity. “We would need seven more youth program officers, another supervisor and another licensed clinical social worker,” she said. Stocking also told commissioners the camp maintains specialized staff—licensed clinical social workers and alcohol and drug counselors—that support family engagement and reduce the likelihood of state commitment for youth who do not succeed at camp.
Commissioner Charlotte Hales, who the chair identified as the county’s board representative to China Spring, said the county’s recent management takeover strengthened PREA compliance and oversight. “Since county management took over in early 2024, the practices with PREA have been strengthened,” Hales said, referencing the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards Stocking reported the camp met.
County staff projected Douglas County’s share of China Spring next year at roughly $197,000 but told commissioners the final per-county charge will be calculated from bed usage and per‑pupil counts. Stocking said a wait list of eight to 10 weeks for boys currently exists and that full capacity would cut the counties’ detention costs because youth could be placed in the camp’s rehabilitation program more quickly.
Why it matters: commissioners pressed for clarity on the county’s ongoing share and the formula that allocates costs across the 16 participating counties. Stocking said the camp’s pitch to state legislators is to make 50–50 funding a predictable baseline going forward so counties can budget less volatility into their levies.
What’s next: commissioners did not vote on any funding changes during the presentation. The department’s supplemental or budget requests will be folded into the county’s finance wrap-up and further deliberations at the tentative-to-final budget stage.
