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By MELISSA M. JANOSKI melissaj@leader.net
Saturday, January 29, 2000 Page: 3A
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County needs more money for more treatment services
for children and adults in order to fight child abuse, Children and Youth
officials said Friday.
They made a plea for more state and federal funding during a press
conference to discuss a report on their agency. In the report, a committee
appointed by Commissioner Tom Makowski gave the agency generally good grades
and called on the public to do more to prevent abuse and deal with issues such
as addiction, poverty and domestic violence.
Children and Youth Director Gene Caprio said the agency doesn’t have enough
money to meet the huge need for counseling and drug and alcohol treatment for
both children and adults. “Currently, our budget is so tight we respond to
crises,” he said.
It is unclear how much more money the agency needs, Caprio said. The county
spends millions, including some state and federal money, on treatment, Caprio
said, but he could not provide precise figures Friday because several
departments and dozens of contractors are involved.
The state and federal governments have to do much more, Caprio said.
The county can’t come up with the money, said Tom Makowski, chairman of the
Board of Commissioners. “There is no way the taxpayers of Luzerne County can
afford to pay for what we need.”
Rabbi Michael Joseph, the committee chairman, said the agency “is stronger
than it was in the past and is better able to protect children” as a result
of the criticism that followed Thomas’ death in February.
“I’m very glad to say that we found that they have taken this matter with
deep seriousness,” he said.
The report is the most recent of several evaluations, some of them harshly
critical, conducted by state and local officials. Makowski said he asked for
the latest report because he wanted the insight of local community leaders.
Joseph is a member of the Children and Youth Advisory Board and several other
people on the 15-member panel formerly sat on the board.
Makowski said he kept the existence of the committee secret until recently
to keep it off television and out of newspapers. “I was concerned about the
press calling these individuals.”
He also cited his campaign for re-election as a reason for the secrecy. The
committee was formed in early October, a month before the November election.
“This is a very volatile issue and I didn’t want it to look political,” he
said.
Makowski said he hopes the report helps “heal the agency and restore the
community’s faith in the agency.”
“It almost confirmed what we know, that we have a good, strong Children
and Youth agency.”
Call Janoski at 831-7331.