A host of intervention programs that keep kids out of the San Mateo County court system could take a major funding hit that would impact about 14,000 at-risk youth and their families. An escalation in criminal behavior and crowding at Juvenile Hall are just some of the potential ripple effects officials are forecasting.
"This could be such a cataclysmic blow to the programs in this community that I don't want to imagine what the next day at work would be like," said Marta Diaz, supervising judge of the Juvenile Court.
In effect, Diaz said some prevention programs could be wiped out altogether.
In Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget, he eliminated funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which gives $201 million to probation departments statewide. The loss in San Mateo County would add up to about $3.5 million, said Chief Probation Officer Loren Buddress.
A variety of programs rely on the TANF money to serve at-risk kids and their families in the county.
For example, the Risk Prevention Program alone serves about 2,300 county youth every year. The program helps monitor truancy and provides drug and alcohol education and intervention. It is a collaborative effort between police, probation officers and six high school districts.
About 81 percent of youth referred to the program don't return to the criminal justice system; 98 percent show improvement in school attendance.
"These are programs that keep kids out of the justice system," Buddress said.
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Right now, that program survives with the help of $633,000 in TANF money.
Youth incarcerated at Hillcrest Juvenile Hall would also be affected by the elimination of TANF funding. Currently, the facility gets about $1 million for counseling, life training skills, tutoring and anger management classes. About 4,400 youth in the facility take advantage of services funded by TANF.
The county's allotment of TANF funding also goes toward agencies that provide family mentoring, crisis intervention, outreach for domestic violence victims and parent education.
A survey of those taking advantage of the services showed that 74 percent of participants felt the programs helped bring about a positive change. About 84 percent of parents said they were satisfied with the services provided to their children.
The programs have also been endorsed by dozens of organizations, including the Sheriff's Association.
In all, the elimination of TANF funding could mean the elimination of about 36 county positions, Buddress said.
This week, Buddress said probation officers from around the state are meeting to drum up support for keeping the money on the table. Since the proposed budget was released, Buddress said dozens of groups statewide have lobbied Schwarzenegger to restore the money.
"I'm not going to breathe easy until the money's in the bank," Diaz said.
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