CAPE YOUTH CENTER IS MODEL FOR NATION

It is said that imitation is the finest form of flattery.

The Cape Girardeau Center for Youth and Family should be proud that it has become a role model in the state and around the nation for such facilities. More than 20 other states have inquired about the program or have actually visited the center.

The center houses about 20 troubled teen-agers ages 14 to 17. Most stay about six months. It operates very quietly and efficiently. Most local residents -- and even neighbors - may not realize the center is there and what it does.

One aspect of the program is the fact students from Southeast Missouri State University serve as tutors and mentors. Sometimes the students fill the shoes of big brothers and big sisters.

This community outreach to troubled teen-agers has proved very effective. The success rate is much higher than the long-time practice of housing youngsters in large institutions of up to 1,000 teens.

The idea of these community programs is to keep teen-agers in school and out of trouble. Caring community partners -- such as the university students -- can make all the difference.

Missouri's director of the Division of Youth Services, Mark Steward, hopes programs like the one in Cape Girardeau will help "work ourselves out of business."

That's high praise for the local workers and volunteers who have made the Cape Girardeau Center for Youth and Family a model of success for the nation.