By Anna Skinner
Since the Westfield Youth Assistance Program’s inception in 2009, the idea has spread across the county and the state. The city funds one early intervention advocate, Christine Brown, to receive all referrals from schools and other sources regarding families in need. Recently, the WYAP Board of Directors raised enough funds to hire a second early intervention advocate to aid Brown in her efforts. The position is part-time.
“One early intervention advocate is funded in the City of Westfield, and she cares for over 100 referrals a year, mainly from the school corporation,” Mayor Andy Cook said to the council. “That’s a lot of families to evaluate. Completely independent of our government, our board of directors of the Westfield Youth Assistance Program has raised enough funds to fund a half-time early intervention advocate to help our full-time one out. So it sounds simple, but to go through all bureaucracy of sending that money to the county so it can be used here is what you have in front of you, and I would certainly appreciate approval of this document.”
At its Oct. 24 meeting, the city council voted on the new position and approved it unanimously.
For more on the WYAP, visit youthassistance.org.
