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A cluster of seven homes will house children considered difficult to adopt and foster parents.
By PATRICK COOPER
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Bulldozers and trucks soon will finish clearing the site of the new Children's Village development in the 3900 block of Ninth Avenue N, opening the door to a possible groundbreaking late next month.
The Salvation Army project will create a foster care community for dozens of children, and some children could even move into the development this summer, a Salvation Army official said Tuesday. It is just west of the main branch of the library.
Houses in the mobile home park are being removed or demolished and "hopefully totally cleared" within two weeks, said Charles Coles, director of development for the South Pinellas County Salvation Army.
Two permanent homes near the site are up on blocks, but both will soon be moved elsewhere as part of a separate program that helps predominantly single-parent families who need housing.
"It's our understanding that in the next week or so, at least one of the two homes will be moved, and shortly thereafter the second one," Coles said. The grounds may be developed in the future but will be used as walking space for now.
The Children's Village project will comprise seven homes for foster children, plus an administrative building. Six children will live in each home with one or two foster parents.
Designed to help children considered difficult to adopt, the homes will give the children a permanent place to stay. The size of the homes also will enable siblings to stay together rather than being split up among several foster families.
An on-site staff will assist both the foster parents and children.
Though the Salvation Army has always provided services to children, Coles said the features of Children's Village will make it part of "the next generation of child-caring facilities."
"This is really cutting edge," he said.
The project eventually will be funded by an endowment that Coles said soon will begin, but the Salvation Army is petitioning the state Legislature for a continuation of its start-up, operational funding. It received $400,000 for Children's Village last year.
Coles said he was looking forward to the groundbreaking: "Planning that has been going on for the last five years is now actually resulting in bulldozers."