At the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC), “family” is more than a figure of speech. From mothers and daughters to fathers and sons, sisters and brothers, and even spouses, DCYC is filled with families who have chosen to dedicate their lives to guiding young people together. Their presence not only strengthens the workplace culture, but it also gives youth something many of them long for: stability, belonging, and love.

“At DCYC, we don’t just have staff, we have families who have chosen to dedicate their lives to this work together,” said Rondy Woodard, administrator of the Youth Center. “The presence of families fosters a culture of trust, continuity, and care. It deepens our sense of belonging and accountability. Staff are not just showing up for a shift, they are showing up for each other. This dynamic models healthy relationships and teamwork for our youth, many of whom are searching for stability and connection.”

The impact often lasts far beyond a youth’s stay. Many return to visit, write letters, or run into staff in the community eager to share their progress.

“In a field often marked by burnout and turnover, the fact that families choose to work together here speaks volumes about the culture we have built,” Woodard added. “It is a testament to the strength of our mission and the bonds that sustain it. Celebrating this reminds us that DCYC is not just a facility, it is a community. And when we honor the people who make it feel that way, we reinforce the values that keep us moving forward.”

The Harrises: A Mother-Daughter Bond That Resonates

Mia and her daughter, Mya Harris, both serve as juvenile detention officers. For many of the girls at DCYC, their mother-daughter relationship provides an example of something missing at home.

“A lot of the girls on the units don’t have a great relationship with their mom,” Mya said. “We laugh, we joke, we talk, and we have real hard conversations with them. We come here every day and show them that we are a family working together. It gives them hope that there is better outside these walls.”

Mia, who has worked at DCYC for 17 years, views her role as both a guide and an encourager.

“I tell a lot of the girls and the boys, ‘This is just a chapter, it is not your story,’” she explained. “When they see me and my daughter together, it shows them what a healthy mother-daughter relationship can look like. It makes them feel like they are part of that, too.”

The Samuels: A Father’s Pride and a Daughter’s Purpose

Kevin Samuels has served at DCYC for 32 years and currently works in the administration department. His daughter, KeVonna, grew up around the youth center and, two years ago, followed in his footsteps as a juvenile detention technician.

KeVonna’s love of music has become a bridge to connect with youth.

“They know I sing, write, all that music stuff,” she said. “They will come to me with songs, they will sing to me, and we will work on writing. It is a way to connect, and it gives them hope.”

Hearing about his daughter’s impact fills Kevin with pride.

“When I work with the kids and they tell me, ‘Your daughter is so nice,’ that makes me feel good,” he said. “The kids know when family is working together, there is structure, and that is what they are looking for.”

After more than three decades at DCYC, Kevin could not help but get emotional during the interview with his daughter. He said he is proud that she chose to follow him into this work.

The Blocks: A Legacy That Goes Way Back

Next January, Layla Block will celebrate 26 years at DCYC as billing admissions manager. Her son, Xavier, just marked his first year as a juvenile detention technician, and together they are already seeing the difference they make.

Recently, while out at Red Lobster, a former youth ran up to them, eager to share his progress.

“He was on an ankle bracelet, but he came straight up to us saying, ‘I am doing really good, I am on the right path,’” Layla recalled. “That is how you know you are making a difference, when they see you out in the community and cannot wait to tell you they are doing well.”

For Xavier, his connection to the Youth Center actually began years before he worked there. As a young boy, he chose DCYC as the subject of a school project. Layla dressed him and a friend in jumpsuits, showed them around the clothing closet, and explained what the Youth Center was about. She snapped a photo that day, and it still hangs framed in her office.

Layla said she always knew her son would thrive in this role.

“He just has a really good rapport with kids. He coached basketball, and the kids loved him. I knew he would fit in really well up here, and he has. The kids love him.”

The Tealers: Breaking Cycles, Building Futures

For husband and wife Charles and Ashley Tealer, both seven-year veterans at DCYC, the work is deeply personal.

“I come from this. I was a foster care kid,” Charles said. “Everybody in my family was in institutions. Everybody did wrong, but that is all like second nature. Everything that I did not see or did not have growing up, I give it back.”

Ashley, who originally planned to work in probation, said she has found her true calling inside DCYC.

“When the youth come back and ask for me, because they need guidance or they look up to me, that is when I know I am in the right place,” Ashley said.

Together, the Tealers not only support youth within the facility, they also foster children in their home and serve the community to help end cycles of hardship.

“There is always a kid out there that wants to stop and change, but they have nobody in their corner telling them what is right and how to break the cycle that they are in,” Ashley said. “That is what we are here to do.”

The Kirks: Faith, Family, and Foundations

Angela Kirk has served at DCYC for 29 years. Her daughter, KeLynda, joined seven years ago after a career at the Douglas County Health Center, bringing her county service total to 19 years.

Angela says the work runs in their blood.

“It is in our DNA. We have worked with kids in all different settings, church, dance groups, the community, group homes, and it has always been about spreading hope and helping them grow into better people.”

The Kirks bring a faith-based approach, teaching respect and values that many youth may have never experienced at home.

“Sometimes these kids never understand values or experience them in their own home,” Angela said. “We want them to learn those things here, because they need them to be successful in life.”

KeLynda often goes above and beyond to make the youth feel cared for.

“For Christmas I made gingerbread houses with the kids. For Easter, I made paper eggs and hid them around the unit. It gives them the feeling of being part of a family.”

The Scott and Barnes Sisters: Relating Through Real-Life Experience

Sisters Reeona Scott and LaMeka Barnes say their ability to connect with youth stems from their lived experiences.

“You learn that they all have a story. They are just misguided,” LaMeka said. “They are not as bad as they sound or seem. They are just kids.”

Reeona agreed. “I definitely was a defiant kid. I needed somebody to understand me at some point in time. That is what I try to give them, someone who gets it.”

Youth often look up to them as family figures.

“I have kids that call me mom, big sister, auntie,” LaMeka said. “They gravitate toward us because they see us being a family to each other, and they do not always have that at home.”

Outside of DCYC, the connections remain. From mall encounters to inbox messages, the sisters often hear from youth saying, “I am doing really good now.”

Most importantly, the sisters believe their presence together models something the youth desperately need to see: stability.

“That is what a lot of them lack,” LaMeka said. “If you get to know them, they will tell you there is no mom at home, or mom is always working. So when they see us here, as sisters, as family, they see that there is another way. That is what we are here for, to show them there is a better way.”

In the photos above, Douglas County GIS technician Fidel Estrada Ayala flies a drone above the new Douglas County Community Mental Health Center, located near 42nd and Woolworth Streets in Omaha, to document construction progress.

For more family-friendly events, check out Family Fun in Omaha. Please know this list is not affiliated with Douglas County and includes events that take place outside of Douglas County.   

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