SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — A new program underway in Camden County aims to keep at-risk kids off the streets after curfew.
The city’s Village Initiative began about a month ago. Every Friday and Saturday, if kids 18 or younger are out past 10 p.m., Camden County police officers take them to local community centers, where they engage with a team of social workers, city leaders and volunteers.
“We don’t want to have kids keep getting pushed into the corrections system,” said Camden County Commissioner Carmen Rodriguez. “What we want to do is to provide services to children who could potentially end up down that path.”
So far, nearly two-dozen kids have been sent to the program.
“There's no negative engagement,” explained Rosy Arroyo, county Youth Services Commission administrator. “They’re asking how they’re doing. They’re asking if they have somewhere to be or where (it is) they’re supposed to be.”
Arroyo said the kids bond with the volunteers, who provide them with snacks, games, even shoes, if needed. The program provides a vital connection that’s been missing since the coronavirus pandemic began.
“Our families, they’re stressed out,” she added. “Youth haven’t had spaces to go to.”