Hays County Commissioners Approve Relocation Of Hays County Child Protective Board Rainbow Room Program

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners Court discussed the possible location of the Hays County Child Protective Services to 401-C Broadway Street and discuss a Flood Protection Plan Grant.

The Hays County Child Protective Board was established by contract between the Hays County Commissioners Court and the State of Texas in 1978. The board members are citizens of Hays County appointed by commissioners.  

The location proposed in the agenda will be the site of the board’s “Rainbow Room,” which is part of a primary program the board uses to serve children and families.

The rainbow room serves as a storage and distribution area for material items for emergency removals and support for substitute care families. The Rainbow Room helps CPS with tending to the children’s various needs including hygiene after they’ve been removed from a situation.

Currently, the board has 610 sq. feet to use for all of the rainbow room’s services and does not have space to accept donations of large items.

According to the board co-chair, Karen Brown, Brenda and Kaare Remme approached the board in 2016 with a pledge of $100,000 and the services of Ron Balderach, architect, to improve the Rainbow Room Program.

The board developed an improvement plan and started looking at locations. In June, the Hays County Commissioners Court approved a commitment of $100,000 in assistance for the Rainbow Room Project.

And in December 2018, Commissioner Mark Jones helped acquire a $25,000 grant from the Capital Area Housing Cooperation.

Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe and county staff identified a site on county property suitable for the rainbow room.

The board was before commissioner’s court Tuesday to request the use of county owned buildings at 401 Broadway Street.

Commissioners approved the request with a 5-0 vote.

The building will be renovated for security, storage, child care, distribution and administration. The move will allow the Child Protective Board to accept donations of large and small items in the future, which are “sorely needed.”

Commissioners expressed their gratitude to the board for the work they do through the Rainbow Room program to help the children.

Hays County Legal Counsel, Mark Kennedy, said the Hays County Child Protective Board is an affiliate of the county and does not “co-mingle” its funds with the county; the commissioners may see an item in the future to discuss items such as how the county would handle utilities for the Rainbow Room.

In other news, commissioners approved the authorization of the county judge to execute a contract with the Texas Water Development Board for the Flood Protect Plan Grant.

In July 2018, commissioners approved the submission of an application for the grant funding in order to expand the Early Warning Monitoring System in the amount of $285,370 with a 50 percent match of $142,685 from the county.

The grant will allow the county to implement preventative and/or corrective measures for reducing loss of life and property such as the installation of additional stream/rainfall gauges and dam water level monitoring systems, which the county was unable to get earlier.