PRESS RELEASES
March 5, 2025
For Immediate Release
Alexandria Sheltercare Program to Receive $61,480
for After-School Program for At-Risk Youth
Commission Chairman praises “the innovative program for at-risk youth
as well as the active search for new funding sources”
Alexandria, Virginia – The Juvenile Detention Commission for Northern Virginia is proud to announce that the Alexandria City Sheltercare Program will receive $61,480 in new funding from the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA). Sheltercare already receives some VJCCCA funding each year to supplement its community work.
John D. Lawrence, the Commission’s chairman, praised Ms. Annie Reiney, the Sheltercare Director, saying, “She found that unspent VJCCCA funds were being returned to the state from other jurisdictions. In a matter of days, she put together a proposal that would target at-risk youth after school which is the easiest time to get in trouble. Her quick thinking and targeted program will do what she does every day – help some of the most vulnerable and at-risk kids we’ve got.”
The new Sheltercare program will develop independent living skills, strengthen interpersonal skills, and help the youth progress academically with access to tutors. In addition, it will provide mental health and substance use education with treatment plans and goals.
Sheltercare Director, Ms. Annie Reiney said, “We’re looking to support youth that need extra support and structure during after-school hours. But we’re also programming beyond just the kids themselves. Family engagement is a key component as is a focus on the broader community. Other parts of the program range from life skills to gang prevention and crime prevention. And because these kids frequently lack the basics, we’ll also provide food, hygiene products, and help with laundry. I’m very excited to get this kind of new program moving.”
Passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995, the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act aims to support community-based systems that provide services to youth and their families. Overall VJCCCA goals include deterring crime and reducing repeat offending. Sheltercare Director Reiney stressed that “the VJCCCA program has been a key component of our state funding for many years. We very much value our relationship with VJCCCA and their emphasis on community-based local solutions.”
This program will be administered by new part-time staff and will operate after-school until school ends in mid-June and will be full-time till June 30. Because this is FY2025 money, it must be spent by June 30, the end of the fiscal year.
For those interested in this program for their child/children, please contact CCCRC@jdcnv.org to complete a referral for the program.
###
The Juvenile Detention Commission for Northern Virginia – serving the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, and the City of Falls Church -- was established by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1956. The Commission includes members appointed by each jurisdiction and includes oversight authority for the Juvenile Detention Center and the Sheltercare Program. Sheltercare was established in 1988 as a short-term group home to provide services and stabilization for youth. The program's mission is to provide a safe, structured, nurturing and supportive environment to the culturally diverse at-risk adolescent population in the community. Media inquiries may be directed to John D. Lawrence, Commission Chairman (JDLawrence528@GMail.com/571-265-6316).