FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2002
State grant continues crisis nursery services in Anchorage
DHSS grant closes gap created when Anchorage Center for Families closed
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) today announced the award of a grant to The Salvation Army Booth Memorial Youth and Family Services to provide crisis nursery services in Anchorage. This grant replaces crisis nursery beds lost when Anchorage Center for Families (ACF) closed its doors in July 2002 due to financial difficulties that could not be resolved.
"With this grant, we have reached agreements with grantees to provide all the vital services we formerly contracted with Anchorage Center for Families, with minimal disruption to the families we serve," Commissioner Jay Livey said. “We pursued an expedited procurement process to replace this critical program as quickly as possible.”
Booth Memorial Youth and Family Services will provide emergency
residential care services for children ages 0-10 that come into
state custody as a result of family crises and emergencies.
"The Salvation Army is pleased and challenged by the opportunity
to provide crisis residential services for young children,”
Capt. Sherry McWhorter, The Salvation Army Divisional Social Services
Coordinator said. “While our contract is only for a 3-month
period, we hope that all goes well and we can continue this vital
service indefinitely. We thank United Way and the Municipality of
Anchorage for helping to make this service possible."
Booth Memorial also provides a multi-service approach to youth in the state of Alaska who are physically or sexually abused, victims of incest, severely emotionally disturbed, pregnant, unable to remain in home or school because of behavioral problems. Booth has four major programs: residential program for girls aged 12 to 18; residential maternity program for pregnant single teens, day treatment and rehabilitation program for young boys and girls, and maternity outpatient program for low income single women.
Commissioner Livey commended DHSS divisions and staff, and The Salvation Army AlaskaDivision for moving quickly to re-establish crisis nursery services in Anchorage.
-30-
For more information, please contact
Ross Soboleff
Public Information Officer III
Dept. of Health & Social Services, State of Alaska
email: ross_soboleff@health.state.ak.us
Direct (907) 465-1611
Follow Alaska_DHSS on Twitter
Connect with us on Facebook