Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Questions asked about Theraputic Family Center part 1

What is it? Who owns it?, and Are we safe, were the main questions at the January Gurdon City Council meeting.

Several citizens were on hand to voice their concerns about the Therapeutic Family Services Center located in the old nursing home.

Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin asked the crowd, who wanted to speak first, or if the group had a spokesperson.

John Nilz rose and told Franklin, "I am John Nilz. I was raised in this area and my mother still lives here. Right by the Therapeutic Family Services Center (TFSC). I am not sure if I am the spokesman for this group or not, but I will go first.

"My mother has become scared to sleep at night or to just be in her own home. This is ridiculous. We want to know what can be done about this facility."

Franklin said, "Well, you probably know more about it than we do. We have invited a representative to attend several city council meetings in the past, and we have yet to hear from anyone. We can't subpoena them to attend and we have no zoning laws, so we don't have anything there. I am not sure what the council can do for you Mr. Nilz, but we are willing to do what we can and hear you out.

"I searched the internet and found several articles. One was from when the center opened and a representative spoke at the Rotary meeting. The representative spoke of the facility optimistically and said it was foster children and juvenile's needing special attention, but bad enough send to a juvenile detention center. Other articles talk about how the school was paying a teacher to work specifically with the children and repairing a special classroom for the students. One article talked about how the city was trying to get a grant to help the children out  it didn't come through, but these are just a few examples of how the community has welcomed the facility and no one has had the courtesy to tell anyone what it is," said Nilz.

He also went on to say he had read articles in the paper where the council had requested someone to attend a meeting, but after several requests still had not heard anything.

However, Nilz did find out the facility had two contracts in order to house minors. From what Nilz gathered, the facility is allowed to have eight beds, four for foster children and four for juveniles.

"I am not sure where the other 16 beds come from," Nilz said.

Children are sent to the facility through court orders, the Department of Human Services and some individuals have personally sent their children there.

Nilz reported sending a letter to the owner of the building, whose name he did not reveal, and told the owner of the mishaps taking place and how disturbed Nilz's mother was by the actions.

"I spent $1,000 to protect my mother's house by putting up a fence. It didn't matter because they still crawl over it. Sometimes they come over and play football in her backyard," said Nilz.

In papers Nilz found explaining how this particular facility should be run, he found that the individuals in charge of the facility are to take measures internally and externally to protect the children and the community.

"They are obviously failing at this job," said Nilz.

According to the information Nilz found, last year there were 21 runaways, three fights, two battery cases, and two breaking and entering charges brought on children housed at the TFSC.

City Marshal Don Childres spoke up to say, "That is only the things that can be reported. These are juveniles and most of their incidences are kept confidential."

Nilz followed up by saying, "What can you do to them when you are called Marshal?"

"We can't do anything really. We aren't allowed to restrain them in anyway or place them in our custody. We can talk to them and if necessary carry them back to the center. Then the center can't do much either. They usually ship them to another facility if they feel it is necessary," said Childres.

"Well, we want something done. I'm not sure who can do it, and we know your hands are tied Marshal, but one family is already leaving because of this place, and I don't want to sound as if I am threatening anyone, but if something doesn't happen soon, my mother will be next," said Nilz.