The Scott County Health Department has received a grant to fund social programs for after school and summer programs for youth in the county.
The Department announced on Monday it was awarded the Teen REACH Grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services for children ages 6-17 to put in place programs for the Winchester and Bluffs school districts.
The programs will offer a safe place for students to engage in academic, social, and personal development skills during non-school hours. The program will operate pending location approval from each district offering services that may include academic assistance and tutoring, life skills education, recreation, and positive adult mentorship among others.
Scott County Health Department Community Health Educator Wendy Smith says that the need for after school programming was identified in a recent Community Needs Assessment Survey: “One of the top health needs that was identified in the last community health study that was done a few years ago was a need for after school and child care. There is a lot of kiddos who are not in any kind of sports or extracurricular activities. With Scott County kind of being away from everything and not a lot of people work in Scott County, there is this gap in [time] of when people are getting done with work and when the kids get out of school. There is a lot of kids that just go home alone and are completely unsupervised, which can lead to its own problems with regards to impacting their mental health, their physical health, and community health overall.”
The health department is currently seeking to hire a program director and part-time contractual positions to staff the program. To apply, contact Marsha Faulkner at mfaulkner@scottchd.com.
For additional program information or questions, contact Smith at wsmith@scottchd.com or call 217-742-8203 during business hours 8:30AM-4PM on Monday or Wednesday through Friday. You may also inquire at the health department at 335 West Cherry Street in Winchester.