Child Welfare Center to See Improvements to Family Visitations

BATH, N.Y. (WETM) – The Berkshire Farm Center & Services for Youth’s office in Steuben County has been awarded a grant that will be used to support and improve visitations for families.

The grant has been awarded to the Steuben Youth Safe Center from the Edith Saxton Fund for Steuben County Youth Services and was issued to the center by the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc.

This grant will support the center’s work in providing services and resources to youth at the center, as well as their families, by making an effort to improve family visitation experiences in hopes of expediting and promoting reunification. The grant will be used to help fund the expansion of both indoor and outdoor visitation areas, provide additional technology for virtual visits and relieve some financial stress from families who struggle with paying for gas.

The center believes that expanding its space and providing gas cards to families will enable it to facilitate a more regular and reliable series of visits, eliminating barriers to visits for families.

“This grant will be extremely valuable in facilitating consistent family visits between youth and their families. This support will enable us to expand our efforts and provide even more vital resources and services along with really enhancing the family experience in the center.” said Berkshire’s Director of Non-Secure Detention in Steuben Erica Covert.