Speaker 1: (00:00)
The San Paque academy for foster youth has gotten a new lease on life. The boarding school located in Escondido came up against new state regulations and was slated to close this summer. This week, the San Diego board of supervisors voted to keep the academy open and expand its programs to serve a wider range of at risk youth. It's a victory for San ques, many students and alumni who lobbied hard to keep the facility open. Joining me as KPBS north county reporter Tanya thorn. Tanya. Welcome.
Speaker 2: (00:33)
Thank you, Maureen.
Speaker 1: (00:35)
This has been a long, hard fight for advocates of San Paque. Wasn't the academy original slated to close last
Speaker 2: (00:42)
Year. Yes, an almost year long fight. Maureen. I have been covering San school academy since the campus got news of the potential closure early last year. And what really kicked off my coverage was the way many of the students and staff found out about the news. An article was published in the San Diego union review before spa was able to review the official letter, informing them of the plans to close. So the news devastated many of the foster kids in current care who are already coming from traumatic situations and staff, of course, because this is their job, their livelihood, but the academy was always a pilot program that was supposed until December of last year. But the state of California sent spa a letter informing them that the program would need to end earlier in October, you know, we're still in a pandemic and youth and staff found out through a Sunday paper that the home they've come to know, or the job they've had is in jeopardy. So a million questions and concerns came up. Why
Speaker 1: (01:42)
Did the state wanna
Speaker 2: (01:43)
Close it? In 2015, a new federal law was passed AB 4 0 3, the continuum of care reform. And what this did was begin to eliminate most group homes or limit them for short term interventions. Only not long term living situations. And the goal of this new law is to improve the outcomes for youth and foster care. Many argue that a stable, permanent family and a residential setting are better for foster youth than congregate housing.
Speaker 1: (02:10)
Now, the fight to keep San Pasal open, landed in the courts and advocates won an injunction to stop the state from closing the school. Did that victory pave the way for the supervisors this
Speaker 2: (02:22)
Week? You know, this has been a fight that has resulted in lawsuits. So I think the legal push definitely helps secure a future for spa. Following the initial closure letter, the school has granted an extension until June of this year, but no new students would be referred to the program, but after Tuesday's board of supervisors meeting, it looks like spa will remain open past June and will need to wait. See what changes are in store. And when new foster children will attend spa,
Speaker 1: (02:48)
San Pasqua has been called a first in the nation residential educational facility for foster youth. What do supporters say makes the place so special
Speaker 2: (02:57)
Spa is definitely a unique place. It offers a place for youth to live as well as get an education. I keep saying youth because spa has been a place for many older kids in the foster care system to go to when there is nowhere else to go, teenagers that have possibly have had bad experiences in a home setting that maybe have a record of getting in trouble. So they have a harder time am getting placed in a home and the age, right? Most foster families tend to take in younger children versus older teenage aged youth. So spa has become the home for many youth that haven't been able to find their home. Another thing is, and many parents will know this. Even as adults, kids sometimes come back home, they fall into hard times, come back from college. A pandemic happens and they return home. Spa supporters say that they have past graduates that are now in their late twenties, who are living and working at spa. So different factors make this campus unique and supporters are hoping it will continue
Speaker 1: (03:54)
When they voted to keep the school open. The board of supervisors also said the campus, the could be used for a variety of additional programs. What were the suggestions?
Speaker 2: (04:05)
You know, I have been to spa myself and it's a beautiful property over 200 acres in rural Escondido. So there is lots of potential and room for expansion to serve more youth. Some of the reimagining of spa might include temporary shelter care term, residential therapy, intensive mental health, crisis programs, transitional and alumni housing for former foster youth. Nothing is set in stone yet, but what is is that spa will continue to serve children in foster care. And
Speaker 1: (04:33)
What happens now? How will the new programs be developed?
Speaker 2: (04:37)
What does happen now? You know, this week's news is a very big of the changes coming to Sanal academy. This is a campus that I think we will continue to see evolving and with any changes, come debates, agreements, and disagreements before a final stamp of approval. But I do know the board of supervisors has solicited bids for management of the expanded services that will be offered at Sanal academy. Eventually.
Speaker 1: (05:00)
Now at such a long battle supporters of San Paque academy must be celebrating.
Speaker 2: (05:06)
Supporters are thrilled. Here is Shane Harris with the people's association of justice advocates. He has helped with the efforts to keep the campus open and is also a spa alumni.
Speaker 3: (05:17)
This essentially is a big victory being that a year ago. It didn't even seem like we were gonna be able to, uh, stay open, keep the academy open, uh, past six months. And we did that. And then we now have gone to another level of, of ensuring that the Academy's open indefinitely. So big day, big victory.
Speaker 1: (05:33)
And I've been speaking with K P S north county reporter, Tanya thorn, Tonya. Thank you very much.
Speaker 2: (05:38)
Thanks for having me.
