Benton/Iowa County After-school Project

The Benton/Iowa County After-School Project is a partnership between Four Oaks Family and Children's Services and Benton/Iowa County Decategorization Project. This project will provide an after-school program for up to 40 youth, 7th-12th graders, from Benton and Iowa Counties. The program will be a 12-week session that utilizes research-based programming to teach youth the skill they need to develop resiliency mechanisms that will enable them to resist delinquent behavior and to grow to become successful adults. These youth will be referred to the program from schools, Juvenile Courts Service, community agencies, health and mental health providers, law enforcement, and parents. These youth will either be at-risk of entering the juvenile justice system, or be already involved but not placed outside of their communities. Our primary goal is to eliminate or reduce delinquent behaviors in at-risk youth that lead to school failure and out-of-home placements due to involvement with Juvenile Court and Child Welfare Systems. Our secondary goals include; keeping youth that are involved in the juvenile justice system from re-offending or committing more serious criminal acts, reducing anti-social behavior that results in school expulsion, and improving academic performance. Performance will be measured by percent of program youth who offend while enrolled in the program; percent of program youth that offend 6 months and 1 year after completing the program; percent of program youth that exhibit anti-social behaviors that bar them from attending school; percent of program youth that see an increase in academic progress upon completion of the program; percent of program youth that see academic progress sustained for 6 month after completion of the program; percent of youth that are satisfied with the program; percent of families that are satisfied with the program; percent of program youth who re-offend will enrolled in the program; percent of program youth that re-offend 6 months and 1 year after completing the program; percent of youth that are satisfied with the program; and percent of families that are satisfied with the program. NCA/NCF