Youth Center Secures $12 Million in State Funding
Stockton Councilmember Jason Lee secured the grant for a planned mental health and youth services building on South Center Street.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Stockton City Councilmember Jason Lee secured more than $12 million in state funding for the I Am Ready Stockton Youth Center through his nonprofit, Hollywood Cares. The grant comes from California's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and must go entirely toward construction.
Why it matters
The approximately 20,000-square-foot building will provide mental health services and youth housing support in Stockton, addressing local needs for behavioral health care. The restriction to construction costs means the facility will still require separate funding for operations and programs.
The state awarded more than $12 million for an approximately 20,000-square-foot facility that will include 20 youth respite beds. Because the grant is restricted to building construction, the funding cannot be used for salaries or ongoing programs.
The players
Jason Lee
Stockton City Councilmember who secured the state funding through his nonprofit, Hollywood Cares.
Hollywood Cares
Nonprofit organization through which the funding for the youth center was secured.
The details
The center will be built on an empty lot on South Center Street, across from Edison High School. It will offer a community mental health clinic, after-school programs, and a counseling hub for parents and youth, and the project is expected to employ local Stockton construction workers.
Timeline
Construction is planned to break ground in November 2026, with the date not yet determined.
The youth center is expected to open its doors in fall 2028.
Philanthropy Context
The project draws on California's Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, a state effort to fund physical facilities for behavioral health services. The grant's construction-only restriction reflects a common structure in which capital funding is separated from the recurring operating costs that nonprofits and local governments must cover.
Residents seeking youth mental health services in Stockton could gain access to a clinic, after-school programs, and 20 respite beds once the center opens. The center is expected to open in fall 2028, so the services will not be available for several years.
The takeaway
Capital grants like this one can build a facility, but the programs inside it depend on separate operating funding that will need to be secured before and after the doors open in 2028.
What happens next
Groundbreaking for the youth center is planned for November 2026, though the specific date has not been determined.
Further reading
For related coverage of how nonprofit funding shapes local services, see Philanthropy in Stockton.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KCRA.
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