The superintendent of Indiana's state school for troubled or needy youth says Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration will close the school Saturday.
A formal announcement about the fate of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home near Knightstown was expected Tuesday afternoon at the Statehouse.
But the school's superintendent, Paul Wilkinson, said the Indiana Department of Health informed employees at the school and home Tuesday morning that it would be closed after high school graduation ceremonies for 18 students on Saturday.
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home in Knightstown will have a new and larger mission as the home of the Indiana National Guard's Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy beginning in 2010.
This action ensures the facility will remain open, maintain a military connection and serve more children at less cost. Nearby communities also will continue to use the Home's facilities as they do now, and the National Guard will reach out to the community and other stakeholders to invite them to learn about the Youth Challenge Academy and opportunities for partnership.
"We're grateful to the Knightstown community, students, staff, alumni, and others who have been associated with the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home. The school has helped many and there are strong and proud traditions that have been built over the years," said State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D. "Now, it's time for a new chapter, one that will bring a renewed spirit and vibrancy to these grounds and continue the important work that has been the foundation of the Home."
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home school semester ends this week, and students will return to their homes as they do each summer and during breaks.
The state has contracted with the nationally recognized program Choices, Inc., and representatives are assessing every child and family interested in services to develop an individualized plan for community and educational support.
"If there are children who need alternative living arrangements, we will work to make certain no child leaves the Home until those plans are solidly in place," said Jim Payne, director of the Department of Child Services.
The National Guard Youth Challenge Academy is a 17-month program for youth ages 16 to 19 who have dropped out of high school. The program focuses on structure and discipline with a focus on education and life coping skills. One goal of graduates is to earn a GED. It includes a five-month residential phase. The academy is currently housed at Camp Atterbury in Johnson County but the National Guard needs the program's current space to expand military training.
Eventually, the National Guard plans to double the number of Youth Challenge classes at the Home from two to four each year. The current class at Camp Atterbury has an enrollment of 76 cadets; the program has the capacity to support up to 125 students.
A transition period of about 16 months will be needed to reconfigure some facilities and move the program from Camp Atterbury to the Soldiers' and Sailor's Children's Home. Youth Challenge is 60 percent federally funded and 40 percent state funded. The state's current share of funding is about $1.2 million annually.
A formal announcement about the fate of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home near Knightstown was expected Tuesday afternoon at the Statehouse.
But the school's superintendent, Paul Wilkinson, said the Indiana Department of Health informed employees at the school and home Tuesday morning that it would be closed after high school graduation ceremonies for 18 students on Saturday.
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home in Knightstown will have a new and larger mission as the home of the Indiana National Guard's Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy beginning in 2010.
This action ensures the facility will remain open, maintain a military connection and serve more children at less cost. Nearby communities also will continue to use the Home's facilities as they do now, and the National Guard will reach out to the community and other stakeholders to invite them to learn about the Youth Challenge Academy and opportunities for partnership.
"We're grateful to the Knightstown community, students, staff, alumni, and others who have been associated with the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home. The school has helped many and there are strong and proud traditions that have been built over the years," said State Health Commissioner Judy Monroe, M.D. "Now, it's time for a new chapter, one that will bring a renewed spirit and vibrancy to these grounds and continue the important work that has been the foundation of the Home."
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home school semester ends this week, and students will return to their homes as they do each summer and during breaks.
The state has contracted with the nationally recognized program Choices, Inc., and representatives are assessing every child and family interested in services to develop an individualized plan for community and educational support.
"If there are children who need alternative living arrangements, we will work to make certain no child leaves the Home until those plans are solidly in place," said Jim Payne, director of the Department of Child Services.
The National Guard Youth Challenge Academy is a 17-month program for youth ages 16 to 19 who have dropped out of high school. The program focuses on structure and discipline with a focus on education and life coping skills. One goal of graduates is to earn a GED. It includes a five-month residential phase. The academy is currently housed at Camp Atterbury in Johnson County but the National Guard needs the program's current space to expand military training.
Eventually, the National Guard plans to double the number of Youth Challenge classes at the Home from two to four each year. The current class at Camp Atterbury has an enrollment of 76 cadets; the program has the capacity to support up to 125 students.
A transition period of about 16 months will be needed to reconfigure some facilities and move the program from Camp Atterbury to the Soldiers' and Sailor's Children's Home. Youth Challenge is 60 percent federally funded and 40 percent state funded. The state's current share of funding is about $1.2 million annually.
