West Cleveland News

Cuyahoga County Executive, Chris Ronayne, has revealed plans to eventually shut down the Jane Edna Hunter Center, which currently serves as a drop-off point for children under the care of the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The objective is to fully transition health and human services workers to alternate locations.

Ronayne expressed his long-term vision saying, "My goal in the long haul is to close Jane Edna Hunter." He further elaborated on this plan stating, "My goal in the long haul is to shift health and human services workers from Jane Edna Hunter to other offices, such that no one ever uses Jane Edna Hunter again in the future as a front door to drop off kids".

He also discussed potential outcomes for the facility: "The goal in the long stretch would be to move out and sell or long-term lease Jane Edna Hunter,". Regarding funding for an upcoming project, Ronayne added, "We are $8 million away from starting that project," referring to the Child Wellness Campus. "We are at the state right now with our state capital requests. We are going to find a way."

According to Cleveland.com, The Jane Edna Hunter Social Services Center currently functions as headquarters for DCFS while also providing temporary housing for children when alternative care is not available. Early-stage plans are underway for a Child Wellness Campus aimed at offering improved accommodations and services for children under DCFS care. However, funding challenges still need to be fully addressed.

As reported by Cleveland.com, Cuyahoga County allocated $11.8 million towards The Centers in an initial effort to enhance accommodations for children under DCFS care. This included reserving eight emergency beds at Cleveland Christian Home. Despite these efforts, demand was not met completely. In response, County Executive Ronayne unveiled plans for a Child Wellness Campus at Cleveland Christian Home that integrates physical, mental, and behavioral health services. The Board of Control approved a $450,000 contract to initiate staffing for a facility capable of housing up to 58 children.

Despite the progress made, Cleveland.com reported that the county faces a financial gap of $8 million for the capital costs of the Child Wellness Campus. Ronayne confirmed this deficit but emphasized ongoing efforts to secure funding through state capital requests. While the project is in progress, the financial challenge remains an obstacle that the county is determined to overcome in order to enhance child welfare.