By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The city and Rockford Park District are partnering on a youth summer camp that aims to support children who may have been affected by violence or trauma.

City Council members this week agreed to commit $30,000 to help fund the program, which will run for eight weeks.

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The camp will serve up to 100 kids between the ages of 5 and 15 who live in neighborhoods that have been affected by crime, learning loss and a gap in services and programs. The Park District and the Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention is working to develop the program and identify neighborhoods to serve.

“What you will see is it will be targeted in an area that’s been distressed, that may have seen violence and we know that there’s young people who have been impacted by trauma,” Mayor Tom McNamara said Friday.

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The camp is designed to provide an educational and recreational slate of activities, along with additional therapeutic activities and mentoring.

“What we want to do is build off the job that (the Rockford Park District does) in disadvantaged areas with high-risk youth to make sure they get the care and attention and support that they need throughout the summer months,” McNamara said on This Week in the Stateline.