Youth shelter potential use for center
Commissioners approve submitting application for state license
After months of internal discussions, Berks County officials revealed publicly for the first time a potential future use for the former Berks County Residential Center.
The Bern Township facility previously housed migrants seeking asylum as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center. It was closed by the federal government, which contracted with the county to operate the center, in January.
At a meeting Tuesday, March 28, county officials discussed a potential option for how the facility could be used.
The county commissioners approved submitting an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Resources for a license to operate a proposed shelter care program at the facility.
Following the meeting the county issued a statement providing a bit more information about the plan. It said that several county departments are working together to create a youth shelter program at the former Berks County Residential Center and that the county is also reaching out to officials in surrounding counties to gauge interest in creating a regional facility.
Officials said the concept for the program is in response to the shelter care bed crisis in Pennsylvania that is affecting youth in the juvenile probation and children and youth systems. The shelter would provide temporary housing and services for youths with nowhere else to go.
“There are very few, if any, beds for children who are abandoned or homeless,” a statement from the county read. “These children are often those with behavioral or emotional needs, or children involved with juvenile probation and have not been adjudicated delinquent. As a result, children are forced to stay in hospital emergency rooms or hotel rooms at great expense to the county because there are no placements with treatment services available for this very vulnerable population.”
One of the first steps in determining if the proposal is a feasible option is applying for a shelter care facility license, county officials said.
“This does not obligate the board or the county in any way to operate the shelter care,” said Larry Medaglia, deputy chief operations officer. “It is simply an opportunity for us to get the process moving.”
Commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach agreed that submitting an application is a critical part of investigating the plan.
“If for some reason we are denied a license there’s really no reason to continue to pursue this,” he said. “We don’t believe that will be the case, but I think it makes sense to move forward with the application.”
Commissioners Michael Rivera and Lucine Sihelnik said they supported submitting the application, noting that conversations over the last few months have made them aware that a youth shelter program is needed in the county.