Parents rap use of teens for its day-care facility.
By: Brian Shappell
The South Brunswick Family YMCA will no longer use juveniles from the state’s Program Alternative for Youth for the facility’s day-care program.
Nearly 30 parents and residents attended a meeting Monday and complained that the YMCA was using juvenile delinquents for the day-care program without their knowledge.
Though Senior Programming Director Donna Osmun assured parents at the meeting that the boy, Charles, was under constant supervision, she decided to assign him to other volunteer efforts.
"I can understand the parents’ concern," said Andre Gruber, president of the YMCA board of directors. "We’re still going to devise activities for him, just not in day care. There’s a good balance between the concern of the parents and an individual looking for help."
PAY is a program established by the Juvenile Justice Commission that provides closely supervised education, counseling and volunteer work options to juvenile offenders in lieu of incarcerating them in detention centers.
Only 10 children a year are chosen for the program. They are sent to school and work for various volunteer organizations such as the YMCA and the North Brunswick Soup Kitchen under close supervision. Middlesex County was among four counties selected to test the program.
Ms. Osmun said Charles was the only PAY program member to work with children because he had a strong interest in helping out in the day-care area. He was previously allowed to read stories to children twice a week. No problems have been reported as a result of his volunteer work to date.
Members of the program volunteer in pairs at the YMCA for one hour, two days a week at a ratio of two counselors per juvenile.
"(Charles) will shine in the PAY program," she added of the rehabilitating youngster.
Ms. Osmun said the YMCA will continue to use juveniles chosen to participate in the PAY program in other areas of the facility’s operation. She applauded the program and said it was fitting to use such individuals at a family, nonprofit organization such as the YMCA.
"It’s a common practice for YMCA facilities to have people in rehabilitation programs volunteering," Ms. Osmun said. "We’re building strong families, strong children and strong communities. What better place for a child to be rehabilitated than a Christian organization like this?"