Government plans to build a purpose-built juvenile home next year as part of plans to modernise how it handles problem children.

The Health Ministry hopes to build a 32,000 square foot home at the site of two current facilities, which it will replace, on Aeolia Drive, Devonshire.

The new facility was promised in this year's Throne Speech.

Child and Family Services is responsible for placing and monitoring children in foster care and determining which children are in need of care because their home circumstances are not what they should be.

The new facility will be called the Residential Treatment Centre-Youth Village.

At 32,000 square feet, it will replace the Observatory and Oleander Cottages and will have space for 40 residents.

Minister of Health Nelson Bascome recently confirmed The Child and Family Services department was in the "beginning stages'' of the total revamp in how it handles problem children.

"The facility that we have was never really desirable,'' Health Minister Nelson Bascome said. "In the past, we took a building and tried to make it into a programme.

"Definitely, this will bring Bermuda 50 years forward,'' Mr. Bascome said.

"Our new programme probably will take advantage of alternative sentencing for juveniles. Especially for-first time offenders who do not pose a risk to society or to themselves.'' And Mr. Bascome promised a "dually faceted'' facility with "all of the necessary attachments'' of a secure unit, counselling spaces, and recreational and educational components along with the external component of family involvement.

He added: "The new facility will have separate sections for children who must be taken away from their parents and more secure rooms for those who have run afoul of the law.'' Mr. Bascome said: "The Ministry is in a new day and we are approaching problems with juveniles and young people who are in need of care into a systems approach which will work with their families, the facilities and the courts are all intertwined.'' `Youth Village for juvenile delinquents "I prefer to say child treatment services (rather than punishment),'' he explained. "That's the direction in which we should move. Most of these kids have a very large degree of abuse whether physical or emotional.'' Mr. Bascome explained that social workers do not just take children into care but work with families to build parenting skills.

The Ministry will work with parents who do not have the "adequate tools'' to deal with their own shortcomings while improving their parenting skills.

"Now upon first recognition of a problem,'' Mr. Bascome explained, "they will receive adequate assessment to identify exactly why and what the problem is.

"Once they are assessed, then the appropriate treatment is put in place. It isn't just a custodial sentence,'' he added. "But it is an educational enhancement for the young offender's life. We have some real issues with our young people that exhibit violent behaviour or are sexual abusers (of other children).'' Overseas treatment, he said, could continue to be used as a "buffer'' for the most challenging cases.

"Another important thing is that we will be networking with organisations in Bermuda that also provide services for children.

Referring to the controversy earlier this year when it was alleged Government did not have a facility suitable for juvenile arsonists, Mr. Bascome said: "This facility will accommodate those areas that are most prevalent to Bermuda.

"There are certain areas that people have called for,'' Mr. Bascome added, the statements "premature'' that Bermuda could not deal with arsonists.

The new juvenile care system will easily fit into the Alternatives to Incarceration programme, part of Government's overall plans for treating people who run afoul of the law.

And Mr. Bascome reconfirmed his directive that children should never be put in adult jails or even among people who are just barely adults themselves.

"One of the mandates I laid down to our staff was that there would be no incarceration of juveniles,'' he said. "From day one, across the board none of our juveniles have been incarcerated.'' If a child has not overcome his or her problems then "when they reach the age of 18 and are still deemed to be a risk'' then they could be sent to the Co-educational Facility in Hamilton Parish.

The new programme will also jibe with the Ministry of Education and its approach to problem children.

"We are working with Education right now because they have a very large challenge of dealing with kids who are disruptive in the classroom,'' Mr.

Bascome said. "We will be developing a programme with them.'' When asked about comments from the current Family Court Magistrate Carlisle Greaves complaining that often children are sentenced for crimes but could be quickly released by the Ministry, Mr. Bascome suggested a look at the bigger picture.

"I don't want to get into a fight with Mr. Greaves,'' he said. "But what happened is a young offender has a number of areas that would lead him to offend (the law).

"The objective of this ministry is not only to first evaluate why they did the action, but also to rehabilitate these actions so that the adolescent will grow into a responsible adult.'' He added: "We need to not only provide adequate treatment but also to modify behaviour. Yes, children in our care are now and will be continually evaluated.'' With only two beds in secure rooms for children the staff is forced to make the difficult decision as to who should be "moved through the system'' said Derrick Binns, acting director of Child and Family Services.

He said the Department "would have no choice but to take'' a child who has been committed by a magistrate.

"Hopefully we won't be filling 40 beds a day but we would have enough to accommodate the numbers we'll be getting,'' he added.

"We're now functioning under the Children's Act of 1998 which gives us the mandate to act in the best interests of the child,'' Dr. Binns said.

"With our new programme in place we will be better able to identify the needs of the children and the care that we can provide,'' Dr. Binns explained.

"Currently there is a review of the Young Offenders Act going on in the Ministry.

"There is still some concern as to how we deal with young offenders differently from the Children's Act. Should there be a need for a more custodial type of treatment, we believe the facility could accommodate that.'' Dr. Binns said that while 40 children appears to be a large number, that will be more than enough compared to projected levels, based on the numbers the Ministry now handles.

"We intend to be able to provide a clear programme for each individual who comes into our care -- whether custodial or for care and protection,'' he added. "Rather than just provide a watchful eye, we will be able to identify their needs and come up with a specialised and individualised plan for them.''