Officials update Reclaim juvenile resource center; staff report 50–75 families served

Gary Bryant, Juvenile Court Administrator, and program staff briefed the Clermont County Board of Commissioners on the Reasoned Equitable Community and Local Alternatives to the Incarceration of Minors (Reclaim) grant and the new Juvenile Resource Center. Bryant described the program as an alternative aimed at reducing youth confinement in Department of Youth Services institutions and reported that the county was awarded a Reclaim grant to support a Juvenile Resource Center.

Program staff member Paige Olsen said the center’s current hours are “8-4:30, but as the Center grows, it hopes to have flexible hours and even weekends.” Commissioners asked whether the center collaborates with mental health organizations and whether the building used may require repairs; staff said several mental health organizations collaborate and explained the grant’s terms restrict locating the program at the Juvenile Court facility. Staff reported serving approximately 50 to 75 families to date. Union Township resident Kyla Hucker asked what it means that the grant “generates $36.5 million in revenue for Clermont County,” and the Board clarified that the amount is a placeholder the county may draw down and that it does not require immediate general-fund expenditure.

Why it matters: The Reclaim grant funds local alternatives to juvenile incarceration and supports a resource center serving families; the Board’s discussion addressed practical issues (location restrictions under the grant, hours of operation, and how drawdown of grant dollars works).