Benward has 11 staffers, some volunteer, but she said the amount they can work is limited.

"I cannot get qualified staff to donate all of their time. I cannot train the staff to respond appropriately to this group on 25 hours a week," she said, adding that she works 120 hour weeks — most of it unpaid.

A disruption in funding could affect teens in school and making transitions. As she spoke to the Deseret News, she was gathering up a group of young men to celebrate graduating with their GEDs.

"This is not a problem that's going to go on forever and ever," Benward said. "At some point, their community (Hildale and Colorado City) is going to have the power they need to take care of their own."

Bauer has family in Texas and disagrees with how authorities there have handled the situation. He said community outreach solutions like the House Just Off Bluff will help take care of any abuses within the community.

"The way that Texas went about doing that is the wrong way," Bauer said. "I really think these programs that we're doing, trying to open communication with this group — that's going to be the key."

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com