ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Three teens are returning home not only to be a part of their community but to get the help they need in their own backyard.
"Kids that are from Allen County need to be back in Allen County," said Sarah Newland, Allen County Children Services Director. "They are going to do better when they are back home."
Three young men, one sixteen and two fifteen, who are considered multi-system youth will have a new home to call their own in their hometown of Lima. All three have been helped by Allen County Children Services as well as the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities. However, they had to stay in residential centers away from their hometown and away from family involvement and local support.
"They are several hours away, and the only reason that they are there is that was the only place we could place them where they could get their needs met. So for us, our staff is only ten minutes away from being able to see them to respond to concerns, to support them much better from where they are from where they were," said Newland.
The home has three bedrooms as well as a kitchen, bathroom, and much more thanks to a partnership with Benchmark Human Services and LODDI Inc.
"We are thankful for the boys to be able to come home into their community where they might recognize their parks, schools, and restaurants, and their library," said Ryan Knodel, Benchmark Human Services State Director. "Different things that will be able to access."
No more several-hour rides back to the area, and no more uncertainty of if they will ever see their hometown again. These are concerns that are lifted to these boys returning home.
"They are native residents of Allen County, and so getting them back here does offer us to be able to provide a wrap-around support system for them to make sure that they are living clean and safe homes," said Melissa Ricker, Director of Community Support at the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
And the three are ready to return home, and excited to get back in their community.
"We are all very excited as a team to be able to bring them home, the case managers from both agencies have been working very hard very tirelessly to make this home personalized for them so it's a place that they want to be in, a place that they feel welcome," said Ricker.
