Changing Young People for a Lifetime

Our mission is to help young people excel by honoring their inherent worth and building their potential.

Our Services

We provide comprehensive strength-based juvenile and community services, to include:

     a.  Safety and security, through the use of a continuum of sanctions;

     b.  Educational programming;

     c.  Medical and mental health services; and

     d.  Recreation and enrichment activities.

Focusing on Our Young People Because They are Our Future

The Department of Juvenile Services offers programs that focus on young people and their families.  Each of our programs uses the strength-based approach as a foundation for positive youth development, while simultaneously striving to strengthen family functioning.  We aim to assess the young person and his/her family's needs from a comprehensive perspective and to focus on the abilities, knowledge, and capabilities of the young person, as opposed to his/her weaknesses.

Message From Our Director

It is my firm belief that every child deserves the best that life has to offer and that there are unlimited opportunities for growth and achievement.  Furthermore, I believe that it is not only my responsibility as the Director of this Department to assist our youth on the path of success, but it is also the responsibility of his/her family and community as a whole.  No person can achieve his/her goals alone; it takes a village.

Having grown up in the city of Newport News, Virginia, I have personally experienced some of the challenges facing our youth today.  Because of those challenges, I have dedicated over 20 years of my career to assisting those youth  who are in need of service, and to steering them on to the "right" path.  My motto of "always doing what is in the best interest of our kids" serves as my guiding light for decision-making.  I am truly committed to providing programs, services, and opportunities for juveniles and their families that will aid in improving and enhancing their lives. 

--Larry Robinson, Director of the Department of Juvenile Services