ThitareeSarmkasat/iStock
An empty wing of the Valley of the Moon Children’s Center will soon house a residential mental health treatment center for foster youth, just across from the center’s emergency placement shelter. When the therapeutic facility opens its doors in July 2024, Sonoma County will be the only county in the state to house both resources for foster youth on the same site. Brianna Downey, the section manager, put together the proposal for the three-year pilot, which was approved recently by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. The shelter serves foster youth who cannot be placed with family members following their removal from a home. Currently, youth who need intensive resources are often transferred as far as facilities in Southern California to limit the amount of time spent waiting for treatment.