SIDNEY -- A non-profit organization offering services for children is coming to Cheyenne County.

Krista Bruns, director of PlainsWest CASA, spoke at the Sidney City Council meeting Tuesday about Banisters Leadership Academy, an organization she came in contact with through the Court Improvement Project. 

Bruns attended the city council meeting to tell the council about a program coming to Sidney.

"I am here to tell you about an awesome opportunity that I am working with that will benefit our town tremendously," Bruns said at the Tuesday city council meeting.

The Banisters Leadership Academy offers many programs including free after school daycare, Bruns said.

She said Banisters Leadership Academy hires locally, and has already hired a director for the Sidney program. Bruns said they will hire three to four more staff, depending on the number of youth. She said in order for the program to be offered at no cost, regardless of family income, it needs support. 

"The big thing is what they're needing is a building, a building that they can get it for free; at least looking at a two-year commitment. In order to give this to the families for free, we have to support them as well. He has two large donors who have already reached out to him that wants to help the Panhandle. They want to help the families in our area," she said.

She said they are waiting on a response from the building owners they have contacted.

In 1993, Congress passed the State Court Improvement Program (CIP) as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) which funded, among other things, States to conduct assessments of their judicial processes in juvenile cases and develop and implement a plan for system improvement.  The Nebraska Supreme Court contracted with UNL-Center on Children, Families and the Law (CCFL) to manage the Nebraska Court Improvement Project.  In 1995, the Nebraska CIP released an Assessment, according to the Nebraska Judicial Branch, Court Improvement Project.