Schaumburg Twp. closing Spectrum Teen Center
Schaumburg Township officials will close the Spectrum Teen Center on March 14 and turn over its counseling services to the Kenneth Young Center, a cost-cutting move that could eliminate as many as 17 jobs.
Township Supervisor Mary Wroblewski said it was purely a business decision which should in no way cast a negative light on the quality of Spectrum's services.
“We are going to have all the counseling services we had before plus more, and we're going to save money,” she said. “We had to do it.”
The exact amount of savings has yet to be determined, Wroblewski said, but she believes it eventually will reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
The 17 staff members at Spectrum could potentially apply for new positions with the Kenneth Young Center, she added.
The decision drew immediate criticism from Todd Ruder, chairman of the township's Committee on Youth. He believes the at-risk youth who frequent the teen center will be devastated by its closing.
“These kids are going to be turned out on the street,” he said. “I understand the economy is tough and hard decisions have to be made, but I think it's a mistake to go this route.”
Ruder said his committee was “blindsided” by the move, adding that township officials never consulted the panel before deciding to close the teen center. He said he does not believe similar cuts are being made within the township's senior programs.
“Is it a coincidence that there are no cuts for an age group that is known to come out in droves to vote, and they're making huge cuts for an age group that's too young to vote?” Ruder asked.
Wroblewski said the township hopes to reopen the teen center eventually, but first wants to form a partnership with another agency, such as a village or park district, to operate it.
Kenneth Young Center will begin providing youth services at the township facility March 19. The nationally accredited, Medicaid-certified Kenneth Young Center has provided mental health services in the area for more than 40 years.
Among the services it will provide at Schaumburg Township are youth counseling, school-based prevention, in-school interventions, substance-abuse treatment, early childhood services, bilingual outreach and assistance to youth having difficulties transitioning to adulthood.
“The more expansive array of services will provide a greater positive impact for Schaumburg residents,” Kenneth Young Center CEO Mitch Bruski said in a prepared statement.
Ÿ Staff writer Charles Keeshan contributed to this story