Bill would fund youth intervention programs with $18 million

Money the state spends on diverting at-risk youth who are failing in school and not getting skills to succeed in life is paid back many times over by keeping them out of jail and from needing intensive social services.

How many times over?

Youth intervention programs return $9.78 for every state taxpayer dollar spent on them, according to testimony on HF665 before the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division Wednesday.

The bill, which was laid over for possible omnibus bill inclusion, is sponsored by Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-Edina). It seeks $18 million in the upcoming biennium to fund youth intervention programs across the state. It’d be an $11.5 million increase.

“Youth intervention reverses the growth of state government by helping youth growing up with toxic stress, trauma or abuse,” Edelson said. “The outcome is self-sufficient, contributing adults instead of the likely lifelong consumers of public services.”

The state started funding community-based youth intervention programs in 1976, and the current biennial appropriation is $6.5 million. About half of these community-based intervention programs are in the metro area and half are in Greater Minnesota, Edelson said.

Stacey Collier, who joined a youth intervention program when she was in elementary school, described how important it was for her to have connected with a caring adult mentor.

She testified that she came from a low-income home, and grew up with family members with addiction issues, and she was subject to abuse. All of those issues led her to miss many days of school.

But in fifth grade, she connected with a youth intervention program that she credits with changing the downward trajectory of her life.

“I’m pretty sure that had I not had adults in these programs intervene in my life, I would be taking up a space right now in a jail cell,” she said.

The adult mentor who helped her continues to be a factor in her life two decades after they first connected.

Paul Meunier, executive director of the Youth Intervention Programs Association, said an estimated 300,000 at-risk youth in Minnesota between the ages of 6 to 18 are in need of intervention services.

At the current funding level of $6.5 million, these programs serve about 14,590 youth, he said. With the additional money sought, he said an additional 57,500 youth could be served.

The companion, SF904, is sponsored by Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) and is awaiting action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee.