County Executive David Crowley and the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Children, Youth & Family Services (CYFS) hosted an open house for the new Milwaukee County Center for Youth (MCCY). The facility is located within the Vel R. Phillips Youth & Family Justice Center and is designed to serve up to 32 young people in a secure, treatment-oriented residential setting.
“Young people are our future, and we have a responsibility to set them up for future success,” said County Executive Crowley. “This includes serving our youth closer to home in a treatment-focused environment, with proven programming to help them build the skills they need to thrive. The Milwaukee County Center for Youth is a major step toward transforming our youth justice system and moving us closer to closing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, as mandated by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2018 – a bipartisan effort I was proud to help advance during my time serving as a state lawmaker.”
The creation of MCCY follows Act 185 passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2018. This legislation called for replacing larger juvenile correctional facilities like Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools with smaller regional centers such as Secure Residential Care Centers for Children and Youth (SRCCCYs). During his tenure as a state lawmaker, Crowley worked with colleagues from both parties on this reform.
“The new Milwaukee County Center for Youth will improve the youth justice system and contribute to a safer community,” said Shakita LaGrant-McClain, Executive Director of DHHS. “We have been intentional in developing a well-integrated program model for the new facility based on national best practices. Each young person will have an individualized treatment plan, that includes Dialectical Behavior Therapy, medical services, education and vocational training, mentoring, and independent living skills. The support youth receive extends beyond the facility. We integrate families and community support into their treatment plan. With everyone working together, we are giving our young people hope for their future.”
The MCCY offers classrooms, teacher support spaces, offices, computer labs, vocational programs including culinary arts instruction, testing rooms, health care spaces dedicated to medical and dental needs, indoor/outdoor recreation areas with green space, private meeting rooms for family visits, public entryways and dining facilities.
Programming at MCCY is grounded in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which helps young people learn emotional regulation skills needed for healthier decision-making and relationship-building.
Youth at MCCY continue their education through partnership with Wauwatosa School District staff who provide academic instruction tailored to each individual’s needs.
The capital budget for MCCY totals nearly $37 million; over $28 million comes from state grants provided by Wisconsin.
Milwaukee County schools enrolled more than 116,000 students during the 2023-24 school year. Of these students, Black children made up about 33% of enrollment—approximately 38,530 students—while white students were about 29% (33,860) and Hispanic students represented roughly 24.5% (28,606). Pacific Islander students were least represented at just 0.1%. More information can be found at https://dpi.wi.gov/.
Oak Creek High School had the highest enrollment among county schools last year with over 2,200 students; HAPA-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 followed with nearly 1,900; Franklin High School had just over 1,600 enrollees according to data from https://dpi.wi.gov/.
The demographic composition highlights diversity among local youth populations who may benefit from services offered by facilities like MCCY.
