James Ewing
Principal at Walbridge Elementary School
Caring Communities:
Finding Inspiration in Every TurnÂ
The Walbridge Caring Communities Program (WCCP) began on May 15, 1989, at Walbridge Elementary School in a north St. Louis neighborhood called Walnut Park. Support in the form of funding and other critical resources were provided by the Danforth Foundation and the Missouri Departments of Mental Health, Social Services, Elementary and Secondary Education and Health. James Ewing, Principal at Walbridge Elementary School, was the first educational leader to adopt and embrace the "caring communities" approach - a school based, community linked approach to provide comprehensive prevention and intervention services directly to students and their families in their own neighborhoods.
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​​Why Were Programs Like Walbridge Caring Communities Needed?
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Statistics
Nation-wide the number of children entering foster care began to increase rapidly between 1986 and 1989 and by 1999 the numbers had doubled from 269,000 to 567,000. Two significant factors contributing to the increase were: the growing crack cocaine epidemic and the harsh sentencing guidelines imposed upon users and dealers under the Anti-Drug Act passed in 1986. These factors impacted the average daily juvenile justice detention numbers as well. During that same period the number of youths detained increased from 13,031 in 1985 to 26,451 by 1999.
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Juvenile justice reform legislation was passed by Congress in 1976 and 1978, creating a new category of juvenile crime called the “designated felon” which allowed for teens as young as fourteen, who committed violent acts, to be given longer sentences. Some teens as young as thirteen were even tried in adult criminal court for murder to face the same penalties as adults. These new laws marked a dramatic shift from historic approaches which leaned towards child rehabilitation and serving the best interest By 1990, the numbers had increased to 44,000 or almost double.
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The funding partners of the WCCP and other supporters believed that too many children and families were being affected by these trends and that alternative approaches should be explored. Khatib A.F. Waheed was selected to co-design and implement the programs and services for the newly established public-private partnership.