Milwaukee County to Open New 32-Bed Center for Youth

The new $37 million Milwaukee County Center for Youth features new recreation and visitation areas. | Photo Credit (all): Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services

What You Need to Know

• Milwaukee County officials held an open house for the Milwaukee County Center for Youth (MCCY), a secure residential care center for justice-impacted youth located in the Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center.
• The 32-bed facility is designed to keep youth closer to their families and support networks while providing treatment-focused services, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
• Programming includes on-site medical, mental health and dental services, education and vocational training, mentoring and independent living skills, with family and community supports integrated into treatment plans.
• Milwaukee County said the center advances Wisconsin’s 2018 Act 185 reforms replacing Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake with smaller regional facilities.
• The project’s capital budget is nearly $37 million, including more than $28 million in State of Wisconsin grant funding.

Learn More

On March 5, leaders in Milwaukee County, Wis., held an open house at a new secure residential care center intended to shift juvenile custody toward treatment and rehabilitation while keeping incarcerated youths closer to home.

The recently completed Milwaukee County Center for Youth (MCCY) will serve up to 32 justice-impacted children and youth in a secure, treatment-oriented setting inside the Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center in Wauwatosa, county officials said.

County Executive David Crowley said the new facility is aimed at equipping young people with skills that support long-term success and community reentry.

“Young people are our future, and we have a responsibility to set them up for future success,” Crowley said, according to a news release from Milwaukee County.

The county framed the project as part of Wisconsin’s ongoing juvenile corrections overhaul. In 2018, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed Act 185, which created a pathway to replace the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake Schools with smaller, regional Secure Residential Care Centers for Children and Youth (SRCCCYs). Milwaukee County said MCCY is intended to help meet that mandate by allowing youth to remain closer to families, schools and other support systems during treatment.

Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain said the county built the program model around national best practices and individualized treatment planning.

“The new Milwaukee County Center for Youth will improve the youth justice system and contribute to a safer community,” LaGrant-McClain said in the county’s release.

According to the county, each youth will have an individualized plan that may include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), medical services, education and vocational training, mentoring and independent living skills. The county said families and community supports will be integrated into treatment planning so youth can continue using learned skills after returning home.

The facility includes classrooms and a computer/learning lab, vocational and culinary arts programming areas, and testing and consultation rooms. The center also includes dedicated space for medical, mental wellness and dental care, as well as indoor and outdoor recreation areas and green space. Public entry areas, private meeting rooms and family visitation spaces are intended to support engagement with caregivers and other approved supports.

Milwaukee County said its Department of Health and Human Services’ Children, Youth and Family Services division is also partnering with the Wauwatosa School District to provide a full educational program that addresses existing academic needs while supporting continued growth.

Kelly Pethke, administrator for the Children, Youth and Family Services division, said that the new MCCY is expected to officially open by the end of March, according to reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Pethke also said that the facility will house youths who committed lower-level offenses, and that 14 youth who are currently part of the Milwaukee County Accountability Program will be transferred into the facility.

Milwaukee County reported a total capital budget of nearly $37 million for the project, including more than $28 million in grant funding from the State of Wisconsin. The MCCY was delivered via a construction manager at-risk (CMAR) method, with designs from Continuum Architects + Planners and Dewberry and Gilbane serving as the CMAR.

This article is based on a release originally published by Milwaukee County on March 5, 2026.