MILLSTONE – All of the juvenile residents of a group home on Stillhouse Road have been relocated to residences outside of the township as part of a process that will close the group home and see it revert to a single-family residence.
On Dec. 6, Millstone Township Mayor Michael Kuczinski announced that the juveniles had all been removed from the home. The removal of the juveniles follows the announcement that the group home’s contract to operate with the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Services will be terminated.
State officials terminated the group home’s contract after juvenile residents of the group home were arrested and charged with burglarizing unlocked vehicles in the township in July and again in October.
Group homes are operated by a third party under authority from the state. The Stillhouse Road group home was operated by New Jersey Mentor, which also operates two other group homes in Millstone.
The group homes serve juveniles who have complex trauma, such as family fragmentation, abuse and/or neglect, and other issues. The group home on Stillhouse Road, which was established in December 2016, was serving young men between the ages of 14 and 17.
Residents raised concerns about the group home in July after two young men left the house and were subsequently charged with burglary and theft for allegedly stealing items from unlocked vehicles in the community.
In response to the incidents, representatives of New Jersey Mentor said they would upgrade security procedures at the residence with the intent of preventing future incidents from occurring.
On Oct. 8, three juveniles were charged with burglary and theft after they left the group home and allegedly stole items from unlocked vehicles.
The New Jersey State Police, which covers Millstone, did not confirm if the juveniles in the October incident were the same as in the July incident, but did confirm that two of the juveniles involved in the October incident had previously been charged with burglary and theft.
The October thefts prompted significant objections regarding the group home from residents who said they were concerned for their own safety and the safety of the juveniles. Many residents said they do not believe Millstone is a suitable location for group homes because the community does not have a municipal police force, fire hydrants or street lights.
On Oct. 26, Kuczinski announced the closing of the group home on Stillhouse Road.
According to Kuczinski, representatives of the Department of Children and Family Services rejected assertions that juveniles with behavioral health needs are unsuited for a particular community, that the juveniles are predisposed to criminal conduct and that their presence is a detriment to the community.
However, the department’s representatives did believe the incidents harmed the homeowner’s relationship with the community and created an environment that was detrimental to the group home’s treatment mission and to the residents of the community.
With all of the juveniles having now been moved to other homes, Kuczinski said the former group home is in the process of vacating its license. He said he was informed that New Jersey Mentor has the right to appeal the state’s decision, but he said state officials are not expecting an appeal.
After the program is officially closed, the property on Stillhouse Road will be sold as a residence that will be regulated by existing township rules and ordinances, according to Kuczinski.
The mayor said the two other group homes in Millstone will remain open and he said the Department of Children and Family Services Office of Licensing will implement an inspection and corrective action program.