Focus House has tentative plans in place for the construction of a new residence hall at its 3279 Illinois Route 251 location in the coming years, Executive Director Brenda Mason said Tuesday.
Located north of Rochelle, Focus House provides a continuum of services for at-risk youths, including residential, counseling, education and alternative programming. The facility offers residential treatment for boys aged 12-17 in the justice system who are court ordered by a judge to go to the facility. Kids in the program eventually transition back to their homes after education, treatment and public service work at Focus House.
The Ogle County-run facility currently operates its residential services out of the 3279 Illinois Route 251 location and The Miller House, located in Rochelle. Both buildings are of increased age, with staff estimating the Miller House was built in the 1960s and the residential building on the Route 251 property was built in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Mason said operating at two different locations presents difficulties, including transportation, food service, staffing and room for visits.
“We would spend less on staff if we had all of our staff and kids in one location,” Mason said. “With visits, the kids we serve get visited on campus by their families and there’s more room out here on Route 251 for that. It would be so much more economical, efficient and easier if we operated all on one campus.”
The Prison Rape Elimination Act will also play into Focus House’s residential buildings in the future. While not a detention facility, Focus House is overseen by the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts and its facilities may have to be PREA certified by Jan. 1, 2027, which would necessitate improvements.
“It’s possible we can become PREA certified in our existing buildings, but it’s probably going to be very difficult, if it’s possible,” Mason said. “If it’s not possible, we may have to shut down in the little bit of time between that date and when we could get a building built. We will attempt to become certified in the buildings we have because we don’t have a new building yet. There may be some financial costs to upgrades. We wouldn’t need to do that with the new building. It will be built with PREA compliance in mind.”
Mason said the idea of a new Focus House residence hall has been discussed with the Ogle County Board “many times” and the current plan is for it to be the county’s next capital improvement project once the new Ogle County Jail bonds are paid off in two years.
The current projected cost for a new Focus House residence hall is $3.5 million. The timeline Mason provided was starting construction in 2027 and completing it in 2028. The county would issue bonds to finance the construction.
“Foundation for Focus House has already been raising funds for a new building for well over 10 years,” Mason said. “That fund has reached around six figures, and would be used to furnish the building and cover whatever other costs it could.”
The new residence hall has been a hope for Focus House for about 15 years, Mason said. She said she’s excited to see movement on the project. Focus House celebrated its 50-year anniversary in late 2025 and unveiled plans for the new residence hall at an anniversary event.
“It feels more real than it ever has before and I hope it keeps going,” Mason said. “I think a new building would open up doors to serve more kids. I think it’s going to open up doors to have a few more levels of care programs. I’m always moved by the support of the community. I love the small-town support we get from Rochelle and all of Ogle County. I hope that continues and I think people here really put their weight behind wanting kids to do well.”
Focus House serves youths of Ogle County, who would likely have to travel out of the area for services if the facility didn’t exist locally. Mason said the facility currently has capacity for about nine kids and a new building could serve 10-15. More could be done at the facility for kids from neighboring counties with a new building that was PREA certified. Time and money would be saved with relief from current transportation needs.
The new residence hall would have more space, larger rooms, improved technology and better lines of sight for safety, Mason said. A new residence hall would ensure that Focus House doesn’t have any breaks in care.
“If PREA does come to fruition, that would be horrible if we couldn’t continue to operate out of the old buildings,” Mason said. “We want to make sure our staff and kids are safe and I think a new building will really be able to provide that as we move into the future.”
Mason said she enjoys seeing former Focus House residents come back to the facility and tell staff how their lives have improved. The facility is helping to support the needs of a future generation in Ogle County, she said.
“Because we’re hopeful that these people are going to become productive members of Ogle County and stay here and raise their families here,” Mason said. “What makes me most excited about the new residence hall is the thought of having all of our kids and staff on one campus and operating in one space all the time. There’s something that doesn’t sit well about the house being separated from everything else out here on the Illinois Route 251 property.”