HASTINGS, Minn. — Dakota County is looking to start a shelter for homeless youth, one that could accommodate at least 12 children between the ages of 12 and 18.
The county previously referred homeless children to a privately-owned shelter in Hastings, but that facility closed more than one year ago and left the county's social services staff with options that are less than ideal.
"It’s meant that kids that are in that situation have to leave the county or be sheltered in places that aren’t necessarily appropriate, like in a juvenile services center, which is really a law enforcement center and a corrections center," Dakota County Commissioner Laurie Halverson told KARE.
"It’ really not for kids who are in crisis."
The idea is to create a home-like environment that would serve as a transition for children until they can be reunited with their families, placed with relatives, or enter foster care.
"These situations usually end with a lot of success. Kids go on to graduate from high school, go on to work, and families are most often reunified when that's possible."
The Dakota County staff is currently negotiating the purchase of a group home with 12 bedrooms located near Lexington Avenue and Minn. Highway 62 in Mendota Heights. They believe that would be more cost effective than building one from scratch on vacant land.
Once the two parties agree on the price it will be up to the county commission to take the next step toward making the shelter a reality.
During her time in the Minnesota Legislature, Halverson led the charge to increase funding for homeless youth programs in the state. She said children leave their homes for a variety of reasons and need a space to remove them from the trauma.
"We know that high rates of LGBTQ youths end up without a place to stay because their families aren’t supportive of them. They’re not safe or no longer welcome in their own home," Halverson explained.
"Sometimes, a kid may be living with a parent who needs to go to substance abuse treatment, or who needs to be hospitalized and they don’t have a safe place to stay otherwise."
The problem with sending children to other counties for shelter is that it removes them from other support systems and friends, which can compound the trauma they're already experiencing.
"A shelter like this would ensure they can get services close to home and not be separated from those other support services that they have in place for themselves," Halverson said.
"In this shelter they’ll still go to school. They’ll get mental health services, group services, recreation services on site."
The general plan is for the county to own the shelter, but to contract with a third party to handle day-to-day operations. But the county, as the owner, can shape how services are delivered and look to make the experience more seamless for all involved.
Halverson said staff and commissioners have also reached out to residents and businesses in the neighborhood of the proposed shelter to keep them in the loop about what it will be, and what it won't be.
By some estimates there are 6,000 homeless youths in Minnesota, a number that far exceeds current shelter capacity. But, as Halverson and her fellow commissioners have learned, it's no simple task to start a new shelter.
"These issues are extremely complex, so we're making sure that we've got a safe place for them to land, where they can immediately get services on site, where they can have a safe bed, and where they can have a good meal."