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Danville board hears plan for Youth Assistance Program as town agrees initial support
Summary
Hendricks County Youth Assistance Program leaders told the Danville Community School Corporation board the voluntary early‑intervention service will begin in Danville this fall; the town has committed start‑up funding and the county will cover benefits, and presenters cited pilot data showing reduced probation referrals.
Danville trustees on Tuesday heard a detailed presentation about the Hendricks County Youth Assistance Program, a voluntary early‑intervention initiative that will place a staff advocate in the Danville area to coordinate tutoring, mentoring and family‑level supports for students identified as at risk.
Stacy Hover, the program’s executive director, said the program will begin in Danville “hopefully August” once an employee is hired and noted it is student‑and family‑focused rather than a one‑stop social‑service agency. ‘‘We offer tutoring and mentoring…we offer a full family program,’’ Hover said, describing individualized plans, volunteer tutors, and partnerships with health and social‑service providers.
Melissa Herby, a local attorney working on child‑advocacy matters, explained the local connection and offered to serve as a community contact. Hover said the town of Danville has committed to provide initial salary funding for the staff advocate and Hendricks County will cover benefits; the program’s advisory board is expected to raise additional funds for services such as mental‑health referrals, athletics fees or holiday support.
Presenters cited pilot results from other communities. ‘‘Judge Crane went and looked at numbers and as of 2025, I believe they saw a 30% reduction in students being referred to probation,’’ Hover said, noting Planefield and Avon pilot sites have enrolled dozens to a few hundred students and returned many to community supports.
Trustees questioned how referrals and eligibility will work. Hover said referrals typically originate with school counselors, teachers or resource officers and that families must voluntarily agree to participate; homeschooled students can be referred but staff will follow up with the student’s school point of contact to coordinate services. Hover said the program generally tracks grades and attendance every nine weeks and expects most students to remain in the program about 18 months to two years.
Board members pressed on logistics: the district was asked to provide space (ideal in the high school), to confirm background‑check and vetting processes for the paid staff and volunteers, and to consider memorandum‑of‑understanding language that clarifies when advocates can meet with students during the school day. Hover said staff and volunteers are background‑checked; advisory‑board members who are not directly volunteering would generally not require vetting unless they work one‑on‑one with students.
No formal board vote was required on the presentation; Dr. Schaefer said the district will coordinate available space and meet with program leaders to finalize operational details for the fall start. District and program leaders said they will publicize referral pathways to families and staff once the local hiring is complete.
