Turning Point youth shelter temporarily closing due to 2026 county budget cuts

Lorain County Juvenile Court is temporarily closing its Turning Point crisis shelter for youth after county commissioners cut funding for the shelter from the county's 2026 budget. Domestic Relations/Juvenile judges Sherry Glass, Frank Janik and Lisa Swenski announced Monday the shelter would close no later than March 1 after the commissioners "abruptly discontinued all funding for this vital community resource." Responding to the judges' announcement, commissioners said they are limited by funding, that they spread budget cuts out among multiple county agencies and offices and that they have offered the judges help to find funding elsewhere. Commissioner Jeff Riddell said he recently met with the judges to discuss funding and that Monday's news release caught him by surprise. He said there was still time for the judges to figure it out, with county Job & Family Services and Lorain County Children Services being two possible sources to keep Turning Point open. "I don't think they've exhausted all their opportunities to solve the problem," Riddell said. Turning Point is a 24-7 emergency, short-term shelter care for youth who have been abused or neglected or suffered from domestic violence, human trafficking or mental health crisis. It is meant to house youth ages 12 to 17 for a short period. The judges said Turning Point has served hundreds of youths and is a "critical resource" for families, schools, police, children services and mental health agencies. The county's $89.9 million 2026 budget eliminated funding for Turning Point, the judges said, making it "impossible" to keep it open. "The closing of Turning Point leaves a painful void in our community," Glass said in the news release. "These young people need a safe place in their most vulnerable moments, and without it, they will be without the support they need and should be able to rely on." While Turning Point is a "worthwhile" local program, it is not mandated by state law, Riddell said. "We hate to have to cut it," he said. State law allows judges to issue court orders to fund their "reasonable and necessary" budget requests. They said they asked for the same amount in 2026 that they got in 2025, and made other cuts as requested by the commissioners. It was only later that the judges learned there was no funding for Turning Point, they said. "We approached this year's budget process in good faith and with a genuine willingness to work together. We made difficult cuts and agreed to freeze our 2026 budget to help the county through a challenging financial year," Janik said in the news release. "The commissioners' decision to not fund Turning Point has left the court with no other option but to discontinue this essential service." The judges wrote that closing Turning Point will put "a substantial burden" on county agencies, law enforcement, vulnerable youth and families. They wrote they are exploring both legal and procedural options while "actively seeking community collaboration, expertise and alternative funding to restore this essential resource." "Our commitment to the children and families of Lorain County, as well as to our law enforcement and mental health partners, has not changed. We remain dedicated to doing everything within our power to eventually restore this resource and ensure that the children and families of Lorain County have this option for the safety, stability, and care that they deserve," Swenski said in the news release. Commissioners voted in December to hire a law firm to look at what funding they were legally required to provide and what wasn't mandated. Turning Point "is not a mandated program and we reviewed all the elected (officials') budgets and had to make some tough calls since they did not," Commissioner David Moore said. Elected officials made $7 million more in requests that there was revenue available for 2026, Moore said. "We passed the budget with everyone sharing the pain," he said. In the end, "we can't spend money we do not have," Commissioner Marty Gallagher said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com