FLDS Lost Boy Home in Trouble

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10916634


New Frontiers for Families will resign Friday as the overseer of a home in St. George that housed teenagers who've left the FLDS community.

Bonnie Peters, executive director of the Family Support Center in Midvale, said her agency is negotiating with the state to step in as interim manager of the program, known as the House Just Off Bluff. Peters announced the change Thursday at a Safety Net Committee meeting in Salt Lake City.

Peters said the nine or so boys living in the home have been moved to other living quarters and she is awaiting word on whether the owner of the home will allow it to continue to be used for the program.

"If he closes the house down we'll have to see about finding another house," Peters said.

Tracy Johnson, director of New Frontiers, said the program is needed, but "it didn't really fit our mission. That was our main reason."

"I hope they work it out because it's certainly a worthy cause," she said.

Last month, the Five County Association of Governments gave New Frontiers 10 days to get a business license for the home, which opened last year and had operated with proper city approvals. Five County also told New Frontiers the home needed to operate as a drop-in center, as specified in its state grant, and hire properly trained staff to work with the teens. As part of the shake-up, New Frontiers fired its clinical director.

New Frontiers, a Garfield County-based nonprofit, opened the home last summer after receiving a $95,000 grant to create a drop-in center for youth from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As approved by the department, the non-profit was to help youth connect with services, such as counseling, schooling and medical care.

Instead, youth were allowed to live at the home, which had no licensed clinical staff nor the proper permits.

Peters said the program's current grant of $106,000 runs through June.

"We're hoping there would be an entity that would come forward and make that program functions as it should," said Peters, adding that her center would maintain oversight.

The Family Support Center also oversees the state's Safety Net Committee, which provides services to polygamous communities and facilitates communication with government agencies.

Beth Cottam of Five County said there is a need for homeless youth services in southern Utah beyond teenagers from the polygamous community.

New Frontiers' annual report said it provided services to 114 teenagers and young adults. More than half were older than 18 years of age, according to the report.

The youth say they left or were asked to leave their families because of delinquent behavior or disagreement with the sect's stringent religious standards.

Peters said Thursday her goal is to ensure the program is properly set up to protect the teenagers and provide the services they need. And helping them stay connected with their families is "vital."

"I have found so many of the parents are worried about them and a lot of it's teenage stuff," she said.