Adams County Youth Court will now have $50,000 a year over the next three years to help Adams County children before they have a chance to go wrong.

County Supervisors were notified by the Department of Public Safety last week that Youth Court was awarded a grant through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Division of Safety and Planning.

Mary Jane Gaudet, programs director for Youth Court, briefed Adams County Supervisors Monday morning on the grant.

Submitted in October of 1998, the final grant application grew into a massive volume of data about Adams County children and their families.

&uot;This represents quite a tremendous piece of work,&uot; said Supervisors Board President Virginia Salmon.

While some of the data in the grant proposal was based on 1990 census data, Gaudet said much of it is as current as it can be – being pulled directly from primary sources.

&uot;This data is one of the most valuable parts of the grant,&uot; she said. &uot;While compiling this grant application, I’ve been able to use the same data in applying for two other grants.&uot;

Youth Court will receive $50,000 per year in federal funds to be matched in kind by $25,000 by the Adams County Youth Court.

&uot;Management and housing of the program will go toward the Youth Court’s match of the program,&uot; Gaudet said.

The grant will take effect Nov. 1, she said, and will target family management, early academic achievement and early initiation of problem behavior.

The first step in the program is to find a program specialist to run the youth initiative.

&uot;We will hire a program specialist to set up classes, identify and recruit instructors, and find places for classrooms,&uot; Gaudet said.

One challenge for the person running the program will be designing an &uot;intake system&uot; for the children going through the program, Gaudet said.

&uot;We’ll need to inventory not only the kids, but their needs for help in placing them in the appropriate classes,&uot; she said.

Gaudet’s 21-member Policy&160;Prevention Board will continue to guide the program just as they were instrumental in seeing that it was funded.

&uot;We established the Policy Prevention Board in October 1998,&uot; she said. &uot;We will continue to benefit from this board in overseeing this project and seeking additional funding.&uot;

Continued goals for Youth Court are:

— Continued work with the Policy Prevention Board in applying for additional funding.

— Reduce levels of family dysfunctioning in Adams County.

— Promote healthy belief systems for Adams County youth and set clear standards of behavior.

— Conduct parenting classes using the program curriculum, &uot;Raising a Thinking Child.&uot;