CINCINNATI — Hamilton County is reopening the Hillcrest Academy campus in Springfield Township as a residential treatment facility for at-risk youth.
The facility is slated to open in January and will serve children between 12 and 17 years old referred by Juvenile Court and Jobs and Family Services, which are the only two organizations authorized to place children at the campus.
Nonprofit Talbert House will lead day-to-day programming at the facility, operating it exclusively for Hamilton County youth. Initial stays will be 45 days, with two 15-day extensions possible.
Juvenile Court Administrator Liz Igoe said the county currently lacks adequate local placement options for children in need.
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"These are kids who are currently being placed out of state because there's lack of local placement. These are kids who are spending nights in the jobs and family services building," she said. "And sometimes kids who end up in our detention center on low-level charges, who are in JFS custody, who would not be there, but for the fact that JFS doesn't have a place for them."
Children placed at Hillcrest will primarily be youth removed from unsafe home environments through no fault of their own, Igoe said.
"It's difficult enough when you have to remove a child from their home, but then to not have a safe place for them to go when it's your responsibility to find a safe place is an additional trauma," she said. "We are giving children an opportunity that they would not have otherwise."
The campus will offer school five days a week, meals in the cafeteria, trauma treatment and recreational activities. The county is also exploring job placement partnerships for youth on campus. Igoe said the goal is to build skills that children can carry with them when they return to the community.
Igoe said there is a recognized connection between children who enter the child welfare system and later delinquent or criminal behavior. She said providing structured care and skill-building at Hillcrest is intended to help redirect that path by addressing the root causes of that behavior early.
The facility previously closed in 2023. A private vendor had operated it for more than a decade until sexual abuse allegations led to its closure.
"There wasn't the oversight by the county that needed to be happening," Igoe said. "This is a different partnership than we've had before. There is court oversight that's going to occur on this campus."
Under the new model, Juvenile Court security staff will be present on campus, and the county has put structures in place to monitor programming, staffing and the overall care children receive.
Phase 1 renovations are currently underway at a cost of $8 million. The work includes refurbishing multiple cottages, upgrades to the school, a rehabilitated cafeteria and administrative offices. The campus will open in January with 24 beds available.
Future phases will expand the campus to include additional renovations to cottages, a gym and a pool. Igoe said the long-term plan also includes serving delinquent youth and opening mental health beds to address a shortage of facilities for youth with serious mental health needs in Hamilton County.
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