Becca Program struggles to serve vulnerable teens after funding cuts

SPOKANE, Wash. — A program designed to support some of the most vulnerable teenagers in the community faces an uncertain future after losing around 70% of its funding last year.

The Becca Program, which operates from the Spokane County Juvenile Justice Center, helps protect children who are putting themselves at risk. While the program has regained some funding, officials express concern about what happens next.

The program’s origins trace back to a tragedy along the Spokane River. In 1993, 13-year-old runaway Rebecca Hedman was killed while being exploited, and her body was later found along the banks of the river.

“We are here because a kid fell through the crack, Rebecca Hedman,” said Tori Peterson, Juvenile Court Director.

That tragedy led to the creation of the Becca Bill, designed to get children help and back into school sooner. However, funding challenges have significantly impacted the program’s ability to serve the community.

This past year, statewide funding dropped from $7 million to just $2 million, costing the program case managers and court staff. The cuts forced officials to make difficult decisions about services.

“Really what we had to get down to was, what do we have to do by law and what can we do with what we had? That required us to really streamline the process as much as we could,” said Judge Jeremy Schmidt of Spokane County Court.

A significant component of the Becca Program involves truancy petitions. Schools must file these petitions if a student has seven unexcused absences in a month or 15 in a year. Since the funding cuts, Spokane County reports that petition filings have decreased 35%.

“That is just in our filings, and no schools is receiving services from our case managers,” Peterson said.

The governor has increased state funding to $5 million for the next year, which will provide some relief. However, Peterson emphasizes that this improvement still lacks long-term guarantees.

“The concern is building back all these supports and these services for both the schools the kids and the families, and then in one year if it doesn’t get funded again we are back to pulling the rug again, and that would be difficult for everyone involved,” Peterson said.