Chafee Blocks Closure of Children’s Shelters
Friday, January 28, 2011
Governor Lincoln Chafee has postponed the planned closure of the state’s three children’s shelters—after trying unsuccessfully to stop it as Governor-elect.
Plans by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to close the three shelters first became public in late November. At the time, Chafee asked DCYF to wait until he took office. The state agency rebuffed his pleas and moved forward with its plans, as reported in GoLocalProv last month. (The three shelters are: Children’s Shelter of Blackstone Valley in Pawtucket, Washington Park Children’s Shelter in Providence, and Boys Town New England in Portsmouth.)
As the time, Chafee’s transition team expressed dismay with DCYF, but remained powerless to do anything about it.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBut now, after taking office, Chafee has wasted no time in stopping the closure.
Chafee spokesman Christian Vareika said the state’s contract with the three shelters has now been extended to the end of February, giving the new administration time to evaluation the situation.
“In keeping with Governor Chafee's urging to ‘slow down the process,’ DCYF Interim Director Kevin Aucoin has extended the three shelters’ contracts until February 28,” Vareika told GoLocalProv. “Aucoin is in the process of visiting all of the shelters, and will continue to evaluate the services they provide and the delivery of those services in an effort to ensure that the state is providing the best possible care to its children. Governor Chafee is concerned with the situation and continues to stay in close contact with Interim Director Aucoin.”
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