Center for family services proposes partnering with the camden county youth services commission and administration of the courts/probation to establish project reconnect

This $750,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (CFDA 16.812 - Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative) will fund the "Project Reconnect" program delivered by the Center for Family Services Inc., a non-profit organization based in Camden, New Jersey. The program will engage 90 youth and their families, providing individualized strategies and resources to support successful reintegration into the community. Key services include reducing barriers to accessing social services, educational programs, and employment opportunities, as well as creating new services where none exist. The program will offer a dedicated space for reentering youth to connect with peers through workshops, recreational activities, trips, and events. It will also build family engagement through weekly sessions to support transitional supports at home and in the community. The three-year grant period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

The project will engage 90 youth and their families to equip them with individualized strategies and resources to achieve sustainable positive change. Center for family services will work with participants to reduce barriers to accessing social services, educational programs, and employment opportunities, and will work to create services where none exist. The program will offer a space specifically for reentering young people to connect with peers through workshops, recreational activities, trips, and events to help achieve their goals. Project reconnect will build family engagement through weekly sessions with youth and their families to support transitional supports at home as well as in the community. Center for family services will support the program by hiring a program director, care coordinators, and credible messengers.