Hillcrest Listening Session Feedback
UPDATE: As of September, 2023, the Court is finalizing the RFP to submit to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office, The Court will publicly share the RFP when it is approved and issued. Thanks to the community for your continued support for this important project.
More than 60 community members, in person and on Zoom, joined Hamilton County Juvenile Court judges and staff for the Court’s first ever public listening session. The purpose was to get community feedback as the Court prepares to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) on the Hillcrest Academy site. Since 1976, the county-owned site has been operated as an educational and residential treatment facility for Court-involved youth.
The property sits on just over 88 acres on Bonham Road, which runs off Galbraith Road in Wyoming. It includes 12 residential cottages, dining hall, school, gymnasium and pool, chapel as well as an administration and mechanical & maintenance buildings. The Hillcrest site has been in constant use as a school and residential facility for delinquent and dependent children since 1914.
Hamilton County Juvenile Court Administrator Liz Igoe opened the session with an overview of the current status of the property and shared the Court’s three top priorities for the next provider: continuing to provide education through the on-site school, providing children with trauma-informed therapy, and offering a transition plan for children upon release.
The Court’s plan is to submit the draft RFP to the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s office for review in fall 2023, and issue the RFP shortly thereafter. The goal is to identify the next provider by early 2024. All providers, either as sole entities or in partnership with other organizations that can run different parts of the program, are encouraged to submit a proposal. The Court’s goal is to create the best possible education and residential treatment program in the country.
To read a recap of the broad themes and find answers to questions posed at the listening session, click here. If you have additional questions please email us at Hillcrestfeedback@juvcourt.hamilton-co.org.