Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #541 PACE Center Program Expansion
Requester:	LaWanda Ravoira		Organization:		Pace Center for Girls, Inc.
Project Title:	PACE Center Program Expansion		Date Submitted:		01/25/2000 2:18:42 PM
District Member:	W.D. Childers		Service Area:		Statewide
Counties Affected:	{Statewide}
Recipient:	PACE Center for Girls, Inc.		Contact:		Natalie Schaible
	112 W. Adams Street, Suite 500		Contact Phone:		(407) 888-0002
	Jacksonville 32202
Project Description:
Provide 90 additional positions for the PACE Center's year-round, non-residential prevention programs, which offer education, counseling and gender specific services to troubled girls who are identified as dependent, status offenders, delinquent or high risk for substance abuse, pregnancy, suicide or dropping out of school. $160,000 to continue Sate Office Sujpport services to PACE centers statewide offering technical supervision,business support and to provide for the successful DJJ requested expansion of PACE programs to Districts 13 & 14. With this request for additional slots to be used statewide, PACE Center for Girls, Inc. shall further prevent or reduce the juvenile delinquent referrals, status offenses, school dropouts, foster care referrals, and teen pregnancies by empowering each girl with the necessary skills and knowledge to become independent, self reliant and productive citizens. PACE provides a critical step dwon placement for girls exiting residential DJJ programs who need assistance reentering the public domain. The target population for these increased slots shall be young girls 12-18 who reside in Alachua, Collier, Escambia, Hillsborough, Duval, Orange , Pasco, Miami-Dade and Santa Rosa counties of Florida.
Services Provided/Benefit to State:
PACE offers a continuum of services specifically designed to meet the needs of at-risk girls. Its purpose is to intervene and prevent high school drop-outs, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction and welfare dependency, The program operates a minimum of eight hours daily, a minimum of 240 days per year (the same as public schools). PACE provides the following services: Education, the foundation of the PACE program and provides these young women with the skills to enhance self-esteem and offer them a future beyond their current environmental challenges. The program includes remedial, middle and high school credit, or GED options. Student to staff ratio is 10-1. Transition Services for transition placement evaluation. Transition is available after the girls have successfully completed their individual treatment plans. State Office Support Services include curriculum development, quality assurance monitoring, continuous improvement initiatives, program enhancement, all accounting and payroll processing, rish management, database management/outcome measure evaluation and center expansion and development for all PACE centers statewide. Benefits to the State- PACE reduces juvenile crime 98% of girls at risk for criminal activity and have not committed crimes after leaving PACE. 98% of girls who did commit crimes prior to enrollment did not reoffend one year after leaving PACE. Over 1860 teenage girls did not enter or reenter the juvenile justice system due to their involvement with PACE in the past 18 months. Saves More Money - the new slots will increase the $6.75 million Florida saved last fiscal year by providing a prevention program that works and keeps girls ou of the JJ system.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
Further prevent or reduce the number of juvenile delinquent referrals, status offenses, school dropouts, foster care referrals and teen pregnancies by teaching each girl the necessary skills to become self-reliant, productive citizens.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:				$1,132,000
Total cost of the project:		$1,132,000

Request has been made to fund:			Operations
Is there Local Government or Private match for this request?						Yes
	Cash Amount:	$300,000
Was this project previously funded by the State?						Yes
	Fiscal Year:	1998-1999		Amount:		$160,000
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?						Yes
	Amount:	$1,132,000
	Purpose for future year funding:				Recurring Operations
	Will this be an annual request?					Yes
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?						No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?						No
Is there a documented need for this project?						Yes
	Documentation:	OJJDP's Comprehensive Community Strategy recommending a focus on prevent female juvenile crime.
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?						Yes
	Hearing Body:	Local Legislative Delegations and Juvenile Justice Councils
	Meeting Date:	11/22/1999