[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         INTRODUCTION OF THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] is 
recognized for 4 minutes.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my strong support 
for legislation just introduced with my distinguished colleague, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne]. It is a youth development block 
grant, and the legislation would provide much needed funds to 
community-based organizations for the coordination and expansion of 
development programs for young people from 6 to 19 years of age.
  Too often, we focus attention on our young people only when their 
behavior becomes a problem to society. Daily newspaper and broadcast 
reports highlight the plight of troubled youth who overdose on drugs, 
bring weapons to school, and get involved in robberies and carjackings. 
Even the President reacted to the shootings at Eastern High School in 
the District of Columbia recently when a student brought a gun to 
school and shot two classmates.
  We, in Congress, are passing legislation to provide funds to local 
school systems for crime prevention equipment, such as metal detectors, 
and training programs for teachers in conflict resolution. We are 
introducing amendments to major education legislation to devise 
specific penalties for students who bring weapons to school. We are 
doing little, however, to find alternatives for at-risk youth that will 
help them grow into productive citizens.
  The main goal of the Youth Development Block Grant Act is to promote 
and support positive programs for young people. This act would provide 
funds to youth clubs, sports and recreation activities, mentoring, 
leadership development, and community service programs through which 
young children and teenagers could develop the values and lifeskills 
they need to succeed.
  Child and alcohol abuse, and fragmentation of the family also 
contribute to the unprecedented challenges that face our Nation's 
youth. These challengers often lead to emotional disorders, academic 
underachievement, and sometimes even suicide. According to experts, 
early intervention can be effective and beneficial in affording young 
people the opportunity to achieve a measure of success in their 
personal lives.
  All youth development block grant funds would go to the development 
of nonacademic programs that promote hands-on methods to assist a broad 
range of youth to develop social, moral, emotional, physical, and 
cognitive competencies. Under the block grant programs families and 
communities would work together to provide youth with a foundation of 
experiences that will prepare them to meet the challenges of adulthood. 
The emphasis of these programs would be on prevention, and 95 percent 
of block grant funds would go directly to local communities.
  The youth block grant proposal has been crafted by a collaboration of 
15 community-based organizations dedicated to serving our Nation's 
youth. These organizations have brought a wealth of experience to this 
legislation and collectively serve more than 25 million children and 
youth each year. They include the YMCA and the YWCA, the Boys and Girls 
Clubs of America, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Boys and 
Girls, the 4-H Club, the American Red Cross, the Association of Junior 
Leagues, Child Welfare League, Girls Inc., National Network of Runaway 
and Youth Services, WAVE, and the Salvation Army.
  Often, these organizations are competing against each other for funds 
to develop youth programs. This legislation builds on the strength of 
these community-based organizations, allowing them to coordinate their 
efforts to serve at-risk youth.
  The biggest challenges facing our children and youth are outside of 
the classroom. Of the children entering school, 1 in 5 is living in 
poverty. Half a million children who started school this year were born 
to teenage mothers. Many were exposed to drugs in utero or contracted 
HIV disease. A combination of factors puts these children at long-term 
disadvantage.
  Mr. Speaker, schools cannot meet the developmental needs of these 
challenged youth. Young people spend less than half their time in 
school. After-school-activities are of the utmost importance in shaping 
the lives of these individuals. We must take these children off the 
streets and out of empty houses. We can do this by providing community-
based organizations with the funds and the means to collaborate and 
develop meaningful programs that will help young people grow into 
productive adults. The Youth Development Block Grant Act will enable 
these organizations to reach out to millions of currently unserved 
youth. It is an investment in our Nation's future, and I am pleased to 
join the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Payne] in introducing this 
legislation which will afford our young people with the positive 
opportunities that they need and deserve.

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