Rochelle Chronister, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, today announced that the Canteen Corporation, a nationwide firm specializing in food service, has been awarded a contract to provide food service at three of the four youth centers operated by the agency.

Canteen's bid of $6.59 million over five years will save the state more than $384,000. The projected savings are based on current operating costs to provide food service at the Youth Center at Topeka, the Youth Center at Beloit, and the Youth Center at Atchison. Food service at the Youth Center at Larned was not part of the bid; food services there are provided by Larned State Hospital.

Secretary Chronister said the costs savings to Kansas taxpayers under the bid by Canteen is substantial.

Their proposal offers cost savings to the state and assures that food services provided to the youth centers is being done by a qualified and reputable company," she said.

Under the contract, Canteen will begin providing food services at the three youth centers Oct. 1. The contract is for one year at a time but includes a series of options for renewal over the following four years.

The bid by Canteen was also about $100,000 lower over five years than an alternative proposal to provide food services put together by the youth centers themselves.

Some of the savings accomplished through the privatization effort will allow the youth centers to continue to employee substance abuse counselors. Drug and alcohol abuse counseling positions at the youth centers were threatened because of a cut off of federal funds last year.

The important work of the drug and alcohol counselors will go on, but only because funding will become available through privatization," Chronister said. Substance abuse counseling is vital for many youth incarcerated in the youth centers if they are ever to succeed when they return to their homes and communities."

Although Canteen will begin work under contract with SRS, operation of the youth centers and all SRS-operated juvenile offender programs will be transferred to the Juvenile Justice Authority, a new agency created by the Kansas Legislature. This transfer is scheduled to take place by July 1, 1997.

Canteen recently was awarded a contract to provide food service at all Department of Corrections facilities across the state.

Although about 30 employees will lose state employment because of the privatization, Canteen is expected to hire the majority of those employees. The company offers comparable salaries and wages, and will offer health insurance coverage for employees and family members with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions as soon as the contract begins.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001