October 8, 2021
A story posted this week to VTDigger appears to validate workers’ and union’s concerns that it will be difficult for the State to find a new home in a timely manner for the now-shuttered Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center youth facility.
Last year, VSEA frontline workers at Woodside joined VSEA leaders in warning lawmakers about the ramifications of a decision to close Vermont’s sole care facility for at-risk youth. While the level of care and services were the workers’ and union’s primary reason to fight the closure, they also warned that siting a new facility would be a challenge in itself.
From the story:
As they did during online forums held last winter and at a state land use hearing in August, [Newbury] community members expressed concerns about the security of the facility, as well as the appropriateness of the location, given its rural nature and distance from services such as police; and the potential impact on the surrounding environment.
“This has been the most contentious project in Newbury in my 30-plus years here,” said Larry Scott, an alternate on the board who chaired the hearing.
Continue Reading on VTDigger.org
Note: Meanwhile, much-needed services for Vermont at-risk youth continue to suffer.