HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 06-18 Maplewood, District 622 work on funds for children's program MAPLEWOOD REVIEW Maplewood, District
622 work on funds for o
children's program
Goal is to have five ing for the Maplewood Police
Department's D.A.R.E. pro-
adults responsible gram,which strived to prevent
the use of controlled drugs and
for every child encourage kids to make good life
choices.That left a gap in an area
Tim Faklis of education the city wanted to fill
Review staff immediately.
"It's really a focus to do out-
Maplewood is hoping to imple- reach,to make sure people know
ment a new plan for children, about this,to get people to under-
and a fairly unique one at that. stand the concept of the Rule of
"It's going to be our own thing Five,"Schnell said."That's our
here in Maplewood," Mayor preliminary goal.As much as I
Nora Slawik said. think this is something that we
In a project that Slawik should do,we can't pull police for
referred to as an "integrated it.
youth development" plan, Another motivating factor
which involves a five-adult-per- is the poverty issue in Ramsey
child rule,the community will County.The county has 32 per-
attempt to connect five adults to cent of the region's federally sub-
help every child in the Ramsey sidized housing units—twice that
County area. of neighboring Hennepin County
This Rule of Five program"is and 20 times that of other parts of
really a community-organizing the metropolitan area.
initiative"Slawik said."We're "Research has shown that
a city that is not very con- school districts with concen-
nected because of geography and trations of poverty have seen
because of large differences in improvements with challenges"
wealth measures.Part of it is a when children have positive asso-
way for our community to con- ciations with multiple adults,said
nett and also to involve our Melinda Coleman,Maplewood's
schools." assistant city manager."It helps
To help set this up,Slawik and them move on with their lives
l, y- adev met-with the and with school,and just having a
North St.Paul-Maplewood-Oak- better outlook with relationships
dale School District principals to as they move through adulthood."
work on a federal grant for the The program is still in its early
Program stages,and as Slawik said,it all
Maplewood City Council hinges on funding.
adopted a resolution support- For that reason,a start date
ing the$500,000 federal grant for the Rule of Five initiative is
request and is in the process of unknown at this time,but the
raising funds locally.Maplewood goal is to roll it out this fall,if all
Police Chief Paul Schnell also is the funding falls into place,
trying to get a Department of
Public Safety grant for additional Tim Faklis can be reached
funding. at 651-748-7814, at tfakliss
One major motivator for this lillienews.com,or on Twitter(ry
new program is the loss of fund- (faklisnewu