Tarrant County is cutting ties with a program that provides alternatives to youth incarceration over concerns that the nonprofit’s website mentions “diversity initiatives” and “systemic racism.”
The Tarrant County Juvenile Board voted Wednesday to not renew its contract of Youth Advocate Programs Inc. The nonpartisan group, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, provides counseling, mentors and community service in an effort to reduce repeat offenders. It has worked with the county since 1992. The contract expires Aug. 31.
Judge Chris Wolfe, of the 213th District Court, and Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare raised the motion to stop the contract. They questioned language on Youth Advocate Programs’ website , such as “policy and advocacy,” “diversity initiatives,” and “systemic racism.”
Wolfe said he had never heard of the organization and was concerned about its leadership’s efforts in reform and political advocacy he saw on their website.
“It reflects hot topics and controversy politically,” Wolfe said.
The proposal on the budget was to increase funding for the program to $312,500, because the services were used at a higher rate than expected in 2024. Youth Advocate Programs would have provided “substance abuse interventions, family counseling and trauma informed care to youth/families under the jurisdiction of juvenile court.”
Nearly 70% of children under supervision in Tarrant County Juvenile Services receive services from Youth Advocate Programs Inc., according to Bennie Medlin, the department’s director and chief juvenile probation officer.
“They have a big footprint in the services that we offer,” Medlin said. “And if they go away, we don’t have anything to replace those services.”
Wolfe, O’Hare, and other judges asked for more options within the country that provide the same services.
Medlin said bids do not receive enough responses from within the county. The department must be careful of reaching out to individual providers to avoid the appearance of collusion, Medlin said.
My Health My Resources of Tarrant County and Lena Pope also provide services to Tarrant County Juvenile Services, Medlin said.
O’Hare said he is not anti-kids but questions national programs that champion policies that some believe are inappropriate for children. He referenced Girls Inc. and its positions on abortion, sexuality, the police and transgender issues.
“My belief is we shouldn’t be seeing these kids in places that are teaching them things or affiliated with groups and partner with groups that are anti-Second Amendment or anti-police,” O’Hare said. “I mean some of this stuff they partner with people who are saying there’s — period — inequality with men and women. I mean some of this stuff is nonsense.”
Participants in the Tarrant County program are referred by probation officers or district court judges who handle child welfare and juvenile delinquency cases. They spend at least seven hours a week in the program, which runs from two to four months.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Youth Advocate Programs Inc. said its priority is the youth and families its serves.
“We do want to stress that Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. is and always has been a nonpartisan organization and today we posted a statement on our home page to make that clear,” the statement read.
“We understand and respect that there might be more questions moving forward and will add to this position statement as needed.”
To close out the meeting Ben Travis, director of development at Community Frontline, an east Fort Worth advocacy group, wanted the judges to know the decisions they make about the next generation of youth will play a large role in who they will become.
“I asked you to really consider the impact on youth and staff, but the decisions you make each month if and when you say you really are doing this for the kids to really ensure that that is the case,” Travis said. “And do the necessary research to make those in a meaningful and informed manner. And not just pull from public facing thing, actually do the research on the work that’s happening on the ground and go visit these programs.”
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