Lancaster County is moving closer to opening a 24-hour crisis center for children and families in Lincoln. The County Board Tuesday approved lease agreements with Family Service and CenterPointe for space at 220 South 17th Street. The organizations will provide different parts of the new youth and family crisis center.
Sarah Hoyle, director of Human Services for Lincoln and Lancaster County, says the leases are the final step toward getting the center operating. “These leases are part of the final step of actually having a youth and family 24-7 crisis center for kids with wraparound services for family support.”
Family Service will provide the Family Resource Center, while CenterPointe will provide behavioral health and crisis respite services. County officials described the project as a collaboration with nonprofit organizations.
The board also discussed the county’s proposed 295-million-dollar budget. Commissioner Sean Flowerday said rising construction costs are putting pressure on the county’s ability to maintain and improve infrastructure, even as overall department funding increases.
Flowerday said construction costs have been “skyrocketing,” making it more difficult for county funding to keep pace with the cost of projects.