Dear Community Partners,

I am happy to announce the addition of Vicki Meldron to the Washington County Community Partnership for Children & Families (WCCP) staff. She will serve as the Senior Office Associate. Vicki comes to our office from the State’s Attorney’s Office where she also served as a Senior Office Associate. I am confident that her energy and experience will be great assets to the WCCP office. Please take note of Vicki’s email address and phone number.

• vmeldron@washco-md.net
• 240-313-2095

According to a report published by the Community Services Administration Office of Transitional Services, Washington County had the third highest rate of homeless adults and children in the State of Maryland in fiscal year 2005. The data indicated that a rate of 1,382 Washington County residents per 100,000 were homeless (click here to see trend chart). It is important to note when interpreting this data that, while the number of people served within any given shelter is unduplicated, the number of people across shelters is duplicative. More simply put, each person is counted by every shelter they use as a resource during the fiscal year. Also, those homeless individuals or families who do not go to shelters are not counted. Nonetheless, all these extraneous factors are constant amongst all the jurisdictions. To view the full report, please (click here).

There are additional data sources on homelessness. The Washington County Community Action Council, Inc. (CAC) conducts a Point-In-Time Survey each year to determine how many adults, children and youth are living in Washington County shelters. This, again, only captures the homeless who are actually living in shelters, but it is an unduplicated count. The CAC conducted the last Point-In-Time Survey on January 26, 2005, which reflected that there were 159 homeless families living in Washington County shelters at that given time. Fifty-four (54) of these homeless individuals were children and youth. To view the full report, please (click here).

ANNAPOLIS - Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced today the creation of the Maryland Youth Council under Executive Order 01.01.2006.10 and the launch of the Youth Ready by 21 Leadership in Action Program. The Maryland Youth Council will act as a statewide advisory group to the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet and will be comprised of youth representatives from across the state.

Maryland Department of Disabilities’ Secretary Kristen Cox, and the Governor’s Office for Children’s Executive Director Arlene F. Lee will make the official announcement on Monday, October 30, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. at the State House in Annapolis. “This Council provides the youth of Maryland with an opportunity to impact the important policy decisions the Children’s Cabinet makes on a regular basis,” stated Governor Ehrlich. “I applaud the decision to allow Maryland’s youth a voice in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their peers. They play an important role in making our state a better place for all Marylanders.”

The Maryland Youth Council will consist of up to 24 youth, ages 13-19 from across the state who may be involved in service learning and leadership programs, teen court programs, foster care, student councils, juvenile services and transitional programs. Through the Executive Order, the council is charged with making recommendations to the Children’s Cabinet on the Three-Year Children’s Plan, participating in local youth activities, and collecting information from other youth groups across the state.

The Youth Ready by 21 Leadership in Action Program is focused on the challenges young adults ages 18-21 face when transitioning from adolescence to adulthood and from high school to college, military or the workforce. In Maryland, approximately 13% of 18-24 year olds are struggling to transition to adulthood and those struggling are more likely to become involved with drugs or alcohol or become incarcerated.

“Along with the Youth Council, the Youth Ready By 21 Leadership in Action Program will help move forward the Children’s Cabinet Three-Year Plan and its goal to ensure that every child in Maryland has a chance to succeed,” added Secretary Cox. “The Leadership in Action Program, a leadership development process designed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, will bring together more than 40 leaders to conduct an intensive nine month leadership development process around the youth transitioning to adulthood.” The Forum for Youth Investment, a national non- profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities make sure all young people are ready by 21, is an important partner in the Leadership in Action Program. The Forum for Youth Investment provides the Governor’s Office for Children with valuable technical assistance and training to increase the quality and quantity of youth investment and involvement in Maryland.

For more information on the Maryland Youth Council Executive Order or and the Youth Ready by 21 Leadership in Action Program, please visit www.goc.state.md.us and click on the Three-Year Children’s Plan.