LYNCHBURG (WSLS 10) - A new youth group home is opening in Lynchburg, giving kids a safe place to turn to in difficult times.
The new facility cost about $6.4 million and is located directly across from the juvenile detention center.
Some are opposed to the idea.
Lynchburg Community Activist BB Shavers feels city leaders should have invested more into programs to help children get a better education.
"A proactive approach to make sure these kids don't end up in a group home and end up at heritage, or glass to college," Shavers said.
People took a tour of the new facility at the ribbon cutting Friday morning and staff said the old home was over 200 years old.
The current center will include services like counseling to help children become productive citizens in society.
They said having the facility next to the juvenile detention center will save the city money because services at the detention center, like food and health care can overlap instead of staff having to travel across the city.
"We would like to have our facility in the area to where it's conducive for everybody and we all came to a conclusion that this is good area we have good neighbors we have good programs here" Dan Fallen with the Juvenile Services said.
Leaders at the youth home said they are hoping to have certification by next week from the Department of Juvenile Services out of Richmond before children are allowed to sleep at the home.