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Youth, Family and Recreation outlines merged services, grant mix and new morning care revenue
Summary
The merged Youth, Family and Recreation division told councilors it will continue free youth mental‑health and prevention programming supported by about $288,000 in grants, a $125,000 federal Drug‑Free Communities grant (with a rising local match), and new fee‑based morning care expected to fund an additional staff position.
Erin Hagen, representing Youth, Family and Recreation, told the council the division has merged prior youth and recreation functions into one team and currently operates with four staff plus the manager.
Hagen said the department receives roughly $288,000 annually in federal, state and local grants that support youth mental‑health counseling, mentoring and social‑emotional learning in schools. She also cited a $45,000 state grant for after‑school programs and a $125,000 federal Drug‑Free Communities grant that requires a non‑federal match that increases each year; staff said the next year’s required match is approximately $156,000.
Hagen described fee‑based recreation programs that subsidize seasonal staff, and new pilot morning care at a Norwich public school that charges $10 per day; she said revenue from program fees and the morning care pilot helped justify funding another position that will support both free and fee programs.
Councilors asked about program fees and whether scholarships exist; Hagen said recreation programs charge fees proportional to contractor costs and the $10 morning care fee is paid entirely by families with no additional subsidies included in the proposal. She said the department also uses opioid settlement funds for seasonal help and professional services related to prevention programming.
No formal vote was taken; the council acknowledged the department’s efforts to expand prevention and after‑school services while managing a growing grant match requirement.
