The Juvenile Program

Academic Education

Academic education is provided by USD 457 Garden City, Ks. Two teachers are employed on a full-time, year-round basis. School is conducted five days a week, fifty-one weeks each year. Small groups of students attend classes from 7:45 am until 3:15 pm, Monday - Friday. Education includes areas of reading, communication, math, computer technology, social science, science, life skills, and health. GED preparation and testing is available for those youth who have received parental and State Board of Education permission. We will follow all individual education plans regardless of school.

Physical Education

The youth participate in no less than one hour of physical education daily. The physical education program provides the youth an opportunity to gain the physical exercise necessary for the development of healthy bodies and minds. A variety of activities are available during this time. Basketball, volleyball, badminton, horseshoes, wiffelball, tumbling, weight lifting, and other activities are included.

Activities

Physical Education activities generally are conducted in the outside courtyard area of the facility. In the event of extreme weather conditions the physical education program is moved inside to the gymnasium. Informal and formal activities for the youth to participate in are provided on a one-on-one or group basis. Arts and crafts, board games, video games, movies, the library, and religious services are also available.

Volunteer Services

Many volunteers help to ensure the youth are well grounded and learn to give back t0 the community. Opportunities for the youth include Church services on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings and then Quilting where the youth create small quilts which are donated to many organizations in Finney County.

Drug and Alcohol/Mental Health Services

The SWJDC works with Compass Behavioral Health and 25th Judicial Youth Services to provide Drug and Alcohol programming to the youth to help the many growing issues of drug abuse amongst our young and vulnerable population. Groups are being held seven days a week and all youth attend. Compass Behavioral Health conducts many different groups and individual mental health counseling to help the youth recognize their thinking and help them deal with their many different issues. These services are provided through grants that each agency has received.

Food Service

Food preparation is completed in the full-service, commercial-grade kitchen. All meals are prepared by well qualified and experienced food-service staff that cook from scratch. Scratch cooking and baking provide good tasting meals at an economical price.

Breakfast / Lunch Program

Participation in the Kansas State Board of Education School Breakfast / Lunch Program assures the youth are provided balanced diets that meet all nutritional standards for adolescent youth. Three healthy meals and healthy evening snacks are provided to the youth daily. The School Breakfast / Lunch Program also provides the organization with the added benefit of reimbursement for nearly 50% of the total food cost incurred by the facility annually. View the wellness policy for more information. If you would like to participate in the development, review, update, and implementation of the wellness policy, please contact Sharyn at 620-272-3800. For more information on the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) visit the Kansas Summer Food Service program website. Find a location serving free summer meals. 

Health Services

All youth admitted to the facility participate in a medical screening at the time of admission. Should the health screening at the time of admission dictate, immediate health services are available through Saint Catherine Hospital in Garden City.

Tuberculosis

All youth are subjected to a TB test within three days of admission and all youth are provided a thorough health exam within 10 days of admission. Health services are provided by a Registered Nurse with special qualifications to perform the health examination. In the event of health needs exceeding the capability of the health nurse, referral to a local physician, dentist, or other health care professionals may be made.

Sexually Transmitted Disease

All youth admitted to the facility are entitled to participate in a voluntary program of screening for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD). Each youth is provided educational material and is counseled by the nurse regarding sexually transmitted disease. Participation in this voluntary program is very high.

Additional Tests

In addition to the health services provided to youth in the facility the nurse conducts employee physicals and training for staff on matters relating to health concerns such as hepatitis and other diseases which may result from blood-born pathogens.