| By Bob Weaver
The summer youth work program familiar to Calhoun residents no longer
exists, but a new year-round, life-experience, goal orientated program has
taken its place, according to Jennifer Buttrey of the Children's Home Society
in Parkersburg, the organization coordinates the program for the Workforce
Investment Board.
Kids will no longer report to a work site and just cut weeds, paint and repair.
They must be involved in a year-round program which requires meetings,
field trips, counseling or educational sessions.
Calhoun County appears behind the lurch, with two weeks left before the
program begins. County Clerk Richard Kirby says he would not sign-off on
a number of items regarding "things that were yet to be created."
Kirby said he was asked to agree to sign-off on at least 40 conditions in
April, with some conditions alluding to a handbook, which had not been
provided. He said he received a handbook yesterday.
Kirby said the community was not well educated on the changes, which he
believes has caused a problem. While Kirby believes the program could have
good intentions, kids in rural Calhoun County "will suffer trying to
comply."
"The simplicity of the program was generally to help kids earn some money
for survival and school," he said. "Now, it has become a more complicated
process with high goals."
The summer program had 62 kids last year. That number has been reduced
to 48, with a small number of the applicants eligible for general work duty.
The Workforce Investment Program must provide fifteen elements to the
program, according to Buttrey.
It appears the local school system, a few local agencies and the Town of
Grantsville will enroll some kids, but Kirby says it is unlikely the program he
has supervised will have 50 or more kids enrolled, again.
He said it is no longer a just a "work program."
Buttrey said the program now matches kids to career goals and will now
have enrichment activities. She believes it is now a "quality program" which
will make a difference in the lives of children. The Children's Home Society
has made transportation arrangements for participants.
Kirby said these kinds of programs are designed for urban areas, but when
they filter down to Calhoun County "They just don't work as well. I would
like to see it work for the kids."
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