Family Intervention Center celebrates 10 years of service

SHARON, Pa. -- It was 10 years ago that the Neighborhood-based Family Intervention Center was created to deal with juvenile delinquency problems in a 19-block area along the Sharon-Farrell border.
At the time, young people from the targeted area represented 52 percent of all of Mercer County's youth adjudicated as delinquent and placed in detention facilities. Those young people had a 46 percent rate of recidivism.
The center, a division of Children's Aid Society of Mercer County, was created to reduce the number and duration of out-of-home placements as well as to reduce the recidivist rate.
Today, the number of youth placed in detention facilities from the target area has been reduced to 26 percent of all Mercer County placements, and the rate of recidivism has dropped to just 10 percent, said Yolanda A. Mazyck, center director.
There's a lot more work to do, but the center is proud of its accomplishments so far and will mark its 10th anniversary with a celebration at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Rosemont Banquet Center, 200 Sterling Ave.
Parents and young people from the past 10 years who have gone through the center's programs will speak, recite poetry and perform musical selections.
Current and former center families can attend the event for free by calling (724) 347-0190 by Monday.