MONTGOMERY — Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $83,000 to help youth who are at risk for involvement in the criminal justice system and their families in Winston and Tuscaloosa counties.
“At-risk youth and their families deserve a chance to reset by focusing on positive relationships in the home and with family,” Gov. Ivey said. “I commend the work of these two organizations to help these children and their families find a better way to express themselves and, in the process, open new doors to better futures.”
The Winston County Commission is using a $50,000 grant to establish the Conquer, Open, Invest and Navigate (COIN) program which will work with 100 at-risk youth in Winston County who have entered the juvenile justice system or the Department of Human Resources system. COIN will surround these at-risk youth with positive interactions via counselors, life coaches, educational and work programs and a liaison that can help them turn their lives around and find a path to success.
The Tuscaloosa Family Resource Center Inc. is using $33,000 in grant funds to continue its Championing Successful Futures initiative from Tuscaloosa One Place. The program works to improve parent/child relationships, increase parental involvement, improve decision making skills and increase resiliency in youth and families to decrease delinquency, risky behaviors and recidivism.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice.
“At-risk youth and their families need professional guidance at times to help them find better ways to move forward, and ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in supporting the efforts of these organizations,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
ADECA manages a wide array of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, energy conservation, water resource management, economic development and recreation.
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