[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-1857]


[Federal Register: January 28, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Proposed Priorities for Fiscal 
Year 1994

AGENCY: Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of proposed fiscal year 1994 runaway and homeless youth 
program priorities for the administration for children and families.

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SUMMARY: The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act requires the Secretary to 
publish annually, for public comment, a proposed plan specifying 
priorities the Department will follow in awarding grants and contracts 
under the Act. The final priorities selected will take into 
consideration the comments an recommendations received from the public 
in response to this notice.
    The public, particularly those knowledgeable about and experienced 
in providing services to runaway and homeless youth, are urged to 
respond. The actual solicitations for grant applications will be 
published at later dates in the Federal Register. No proposals, concept 
papers or other forms of application should be submitted at this time.

DATES: To be considered, comments must be received no later than March 
14, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Please address comments to: Olivia A. Golden, Commissioner, 
Administration on Children, Youth and Families. Attention: Family and 
Youth Services Bureau, P.O. Box 1182, Washington, DC 20013.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Organization, Mission and Goals of the Family and Youth Services 
Bureau

    The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) is a component of the 
Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) in the 
Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The Bureau administers 
five Federal programs dealing with children, youth and families:

(1) The Runaway and Homeless Youth (Basic Center) Program (RHYP),
(2) The Transitional Living Program for Homeless Youth (TLP),
(3) The Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Runaway and Homeless Youth 
(DAPP),
(4) The Youth Gang Drug Prevention Program (YGDPP), and
(5) The Family Resource and Support Program (FRSP).

    The mission of FYSB is to provide national leadership on youth 
issues and to empower individuals and organizations to provide 
effective, comprehensive services for at-risk youth and their families, 
ensuring the safety and maximizing the stability and long-term self-
sufficiency of the youth.
    Two of the FYSB programs listed above, the Runaway and Homeless 
Youth (Basic Center) Program and the Transitional Living Program for 
Homeless Youth, are authorized under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
(Title III of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 
1974, as amended, hereinafter cited as ``the Act'') and are the subject 
of the priorities proposed in this notice.
    The Act specifically authorizes the Secretary to make grants to 
entities that establish and operate local runaway and homeless youth 
centers (Basic Centers) to address the immediate needs of at-risk 
youth. Currently, 348 such projects are being funded. The Act also 
authorizes activities that support the local centers, and that increase 
knowledge about the conditions of runaway and homeless youth and their 
families.
    The Act further authorizes the Secretary to make grants to entities 
that establish and operate Transitional Living projects for homeless 
youth to enable the youth to become self-sufficient and to avoid long-
term dependency on social services. Currently, 73 such projects are 
being funded.
    The Act also authorizes financial support for:
     A National Communications System (NCS, a toll-free 25-hour 
runaway hotline) which serves as a neutral channel of communication 
between at-risk youth and their families and as a source of referral to 
needed services;
     Grants to statewide and regional non-profit organizations 
for the provision of Training and Technical Assistance (T&TA) to 
agencies and organizations eligible to establish and operate runaway 
and homeless youth centers; and
     Grants to conduct research, demonstration, and evaluation 
projects.
    Annual Program Priorities. Sections 384(a) and 384(b) of the Act 
instruct the Secretary to develop for each fiscal year, and to publish 
annually in the Federal Register for public comment, a proposed plan 
specifying the priorities the Department will follow in making grants 
under the Basic Center and the Transitional Living Programs. The 
Secretary is further instructed to take into consideration the comments 
received in developing and publishing the subsequent plan specifying 
the final fiscal year priorities. This notice constitutes the 
Department's proposed priorities in these two program areas for fiscal 
year (FY) 1994.
    No acknowledgement will be made of the comments received in 
response to this notice, but all comments received by the deadline will 
be considered in preparing the runaway and homeless youth final 
priorities. Final priorities will be published in the Federal Register 
at the time of solicitation of grant applications.
    One program announcement soliciting applications for both Basic 
Center Program grants and Transitional Living Program grants will 
appear in the Federal Register as in previous years. Because all 
current grants to carry out training and technical assistance (T&TA) 
activities will expire this fiscal year, the announcement will also 
request proposals to provide T&TA to staff of FYSB-funded projects. 
Finally, the announcement will solicit grant proposals to analyze and 
interpret the considerable data that are being produced by the Runaway 
and Homeless Youth Management Information System, the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Monitoring System, a number of Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Evaluation Studies, and recent Research and Demonstration 
projects. Copies of the announcement will be sent to all persons who 
comment on these proposed priorities.
    The current grant to manage the National Communication System also 
expires this fiscal year. A separate Federal Register announcement will 
be published soliciting applications to manage the National 
Communications System.

II. Priorities for Ongoing Direct Service Programs

A. Priorities for Basic Centers

    Approximately 350 Basic Center grants, of which about two-thirds 
will be non-competitive continuations and about one-third competitive 
new starts, will be funded in FY 1994 to support organizations which 
provide services to fulfill the four major goals of the Runaway and 
Homeless Youth Program (RHYP): alleviating the problems of runaway and 
homeless youth; reuniting youth with their families; strengthening 
family relationships; and helping youth decide upon a future course of 
action.
    The goals of the RHYP are achieved through the Basic Centers, which 
provide services in support of the immediate needs (temporary shelter, 
food, clothing, counseling, and related services) of runaway or 
homeless youth and their families in a manner which is outside the law 
enforcement system, the child welfare system, the mental health system, 
and the juvenile justice system. Further, the Basic Centers provide 
services, directly and through referrals, to promote the long-term 
stability and safety of such youth.
    Funds for Basic Center grants are allotted annually among the 
States and other qualifying jurisdictions on the basis of their 
relative populations of individuals who are less than 18 years of age. 
For the past several years, Basic Center grants have been awarded for 
three-year project periods. Approximately one-third of the Basic Center 
grants expire each year, requiring these agencies to compete for new 
awards. The remaining two-thirds of the Basic Center grants receive 
non-competitive continuation awards. Within any given State, in 
consequence, individual grantees may fall within any one of three 
different funding cycles: new starts, second-year continuations, and 
third-year continuations. In FY 1994, this cyclical funding pattern 
will be continued, assuming satisfactory performance on the part of 
current grantees and the availability of funds. Thus, approximately 
two-thirds of the current grantees will be awarded noncompetitive 
continuation funds, and the remaining grantees (those whose grant 
periods expire in FY 1994) will have the opportunity to submit new 
competitive applications. All other eligible youth-serving agencies not 
holding current awards may also apply for these new competitive funds.
    Section 385(a)(2) of the Act requires that not less than 90 percent 
of the funds appropriated under Part A (The Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Grant Act) be used to establish and strengthen runaway and homeless 
youth Basic Centers. Total funding under Part A of the Act for FY 1994 
is expected to be approximately $36.1 million. Approximately $32.5 
million will be allocated to the Basic Centers.
    An announcement of the availability of funds for the Basic Centers, 
along with the instructions and forms needed to prepare and submit 
applications, will be published in a Federal Register announcement as 
early as possible in calendar year 1994 after the comment period ends.

B. Priorities for Transitional Living Grants

    Part B, Section 321 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, as 
amended, authorizes grants to establish and operate Transitional Living 
projects for homeless youth. This program is structured to help older 
homeless youth achieve self-sufficiency and avoid long-term dependency 
on social services. Transitional Living projects provide shelter, 
skills training, and support services to homeless youth ages 16 through 
21 for a continuous period not exceeding 18 months.
    The first 45 Transitional Living Program (TLP) grants were added in 
September 1990 for three-year project periods. An additional 32 grants 
were awarded in FY 1991 and 10 grants in FY 1992, also for three-year 
project periods. All funds available under this program in FY 1993 were 
awarded in the form of non-competitive continuation awards to then-
ongoing grantees.
    In order to award new TLP grants as early as possible in FY 1994, 
however, an open competition was held in the summer of calendar year 
1993 for new awards to be supported with FY 1994 funds. Project periods 
of the new grants were to begin on October 1, 1994, or as soon 
thereafter as funds were available. This was to allow grantees with 
project periods ending in September 1994 to compete for new grants and 
to continue their existing projects with minimal disruption of services 
if they were successful in the competition.
    Thirty-two new TLP grants were awarded following the competition, 
with starting dates on or after October 1, 1993 (the first day of FY 
1994). First-year funding for these projects totaled approximately $6.0 
million. It is anticipated that remaining FY 1994 TLP funds will be 
awarded to continuation grantees initially funded in earlier years.
    Inasmuch as funds for additional new-start TLP grants will probably 
be available in FY 1995, an open competition will be held in the summer 
of calendar year 1994 for new awards to be supported with FY 1995 
funds. Project periods of these new awards will begin no sooner than 
October 1, 1994. It is anticipated that approximately $6.0 million will 
be available for these new grants in FY 1995.

C. Priorities for the National Communications System

    Part C, Section 331 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, as 
amended, mandates support for a National Communications System to 
assist runaway and homeless youth in communicating with their families 
and with service providers. In FY 1991, a three-year grant was awarded 
to the National Runaway Switchboard, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois, to 
operate the system. This grant will expire in February 1994. An 
announcement soliciting competing grant applications to operate the 
system for five years will be published in the Federal Register late in 
1993 or early in 1994. Priority will be given to applicants having 
experience in providing telephone services to runaway and homeless 
youth. It is anticipated that $826,900 in first-year funds will be 
awarded to the grantee in FY 1994.

III. Support Services for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

A. Training and Technical Assistance

    Part D, Section 342 of the Act authorizes the Department to make 
grants to statewide and regional nonprofit organizations to provide 
training and technical assistance (T&TA) to organizations that are 
eligible to receive service grants under the Act. Organizations 
eligible to receive this T&TA include the Basic Centers authorized 
under Part A of the Act and the Transitional Living grantees authorized 
under Part B. In addition, Section 3511 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 
1988, which authorized the Drug Abuse Prevention Program for Runaway 
and Homeless Youth (DAPP), authorizes support for T&TA to runaway and 
homeless youth service providers. The purpose of this T&TA is to 
strengthen the programs and to enhance the knowledge and skills of 
youth service workers.
    In FY 1991, the Family and Youth Services Bureau awarded ten 
Cooperative Agreements, one in each of the ten Federal Regions, to 
provide T&TA to agencies funded under the three Federal programs for 
runaway and homeless youth (the Basic Center Program, the Transitional 
Living Program, and the Drug Abuse Prevention Program). Each 
Cooperative Agreement was unique, being based on the characteristics 
and different T&TA needs in the respective Regions. Each of the 
Cooperative Agreements had a three-year project period that will expire 
in FY 1994.
    An announcement of the availability of funds for cooperative 
agreements to provide T&TA to eligible grantees, along with 
instructions and forms needed to prepare and submit applications, will 
be published in the Federal Register early in 1994. Earlier cooperative 
agreements allowed support for networking and membership efforts. We 
are proposing that these activities not be continued under the new 
agreements. Instead, we are proposing that the agreements provide for 
T&TA focused on findings resulting from the monitoring of runaway and 
homeless youth grantees. Grantee project periods will be for five 
years, and approximately $1.5 million in first-year funds will be 
available in FY 1994.

B. National Clearinghouse on Runaway and Homeless Youth

    In June 1992, a five-year contract was awarded by the Department to 
establish and operate the National Clearinghouse on Runaway and 
Homeless Youth. The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to serve as a 
central information point for professionals and agencies involved in 
the development and implementation of services to runaway and homeless 
youth. To this end, the Clearinghouse:

    (1) Collects, evaluates and maintains reports, materials and 
other products regarding the provision of services to runaway and 
homeless youth:
    (2) Develops and disseminates reports and bibliographies useful 
to the field;
    (3) Identifies areas in which new or additional reports, 
materials and products are needed; and
    (4) Carries out other activities designed to provide the field 
with the information needed to improve services to runaway and 
homeless youth.

    It is anticipated that non-competitive continuation funding will be 
awarded to sustain the Clearinghouse in FY 1994.

C. Management Information System (MIS) Implementation

    In FY 1992, a five-year contract was awarded to implement the 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Management Information System (MIS) across 
three FYSB programs: the Runaway and Homeless Youth Basic Center 
Program, the Transitional Living Program, and the Drug Abuse Prevention 
Program. The MIS data elements include identification of the program in 
which the youth is enrolled, a profile on each youth served 
(demographics, presenting problems, services received), and an agency 
profile (agency description, program information, staff profile, and 
related information). Participation in the MIS is mandatory.
    In FY 1993, using an existing computer-based, information gathering 
protocol, the contractor began providing training and technical 
assistance to grantees in the use of the MIS. The system will become 
fully operational by the end of FY 1994. The data generated by the 
system will be used to produce reports and information regarding the 
programs, including information for the required reports to Congress on 
each of the three programs. The MIS is also designed to serve as a 
management tool for FYSB and for the individual programs.
    It is anticipated that continuation funding for the MIS will be 
provided in FY 1994.

D. Monitoring Support for FYSB Programs

    In FY 1992, FYSB awarded a contract for initial development of a 
comprehensive monitoring instrument and set of site visit protocols, 
including a peer-review component, for the Runaway and Homeless Youth 
Basic Center Program, the Transitional Living Program, and the Drug 
Abuse Prevention Program. Pilot testing of the instrument and related 
protocols began in FY 1993. Also in FY 1993 an expanded contract was 
awarded to provide nationwide logistical support for the peer review 
monitoring process. The projected nationwide use of the new instrument 
and peer review process will improve Federal oversight of the programs 
and will identify program strengths and weaknesses. The findings will 
also be used to direct T&TA activities and FYSB policy development.
    It is anticipated that continuation funding for the logistical 
contractor will be provided in FY 1994.

IV. Research and Demonstration Initiatives

    Section 343 of the Act authorizes the Department to make grants to 
States, localities, and private entities to carry out research, 
demonstration, and service projects designed to increase knowledge 
concerning and to improve services for runaway and homeless youth. 
These activities are important in order to identify emerging issues and 
to develop and test models which address such issues.

A. Services for Youth in Rural Areas

    Because of geographic distances, low population density and, in 
some cases, cultural differences, it is difficult to provide effective 
services to runaway and homeless youth in rural areas. In many such 
areas, scarcity of funds and other resources precludes the funding of 
separate, autonomous Basic Center programs.
    There is a need for innovative and effective models for the 
provision of runaway and homeless youth services in rural areas, 
including Indian reservations. These models would make services 
accessible to youth without setting up inordinately expensive service 
agencies in low populated areas.
    In FY 1993, first-year funding was awarded to eight grantees to 
develop such models. These grants are expected to produce written 
descriptions of the proposed service models, identify issues related to 
model implementation, and generate information on youth and program 
outcomes. The models will also incorporate formal collaboration with 
other major youth-serving agencies in the areas served.
    It is anticipated that continuation funding of these eight grants 
will be provided in FY 1994.

B. Analysis, Synthesis, and Interpretation of Information Concerning 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

    Over the past few years, systems for the accumulation of new 
knowledge have been developed regarding the delivery of services to 
runaway and homeless youth and their families through programs 
administered by FYSB. These systems currently provide, or during FY 
1994 will provide, new data of considerable interest. The four main 
sources of this new information are:
1. The Management Information System (MIS)
    The information now being collected by the MIS includes 
descriptions of FYSB's grantee agencies and detailed data on the youth 
and families served, including demographic profiles, presenting 
problems, services provided, and service outcomes.
2. The Monitoring System
    Data now being collected through the monitoring system will 
identify program strengths and weaknesses in such areas as outreach and 
intake; provision of appropriate shelter, food, clothing, and 
counseling; making of referrals, as needed, for health care, 
employment, and educational services; family reunification and 
aftercare; and program administration.
3. Evaluation Studies of FYSB Programs
    Current studies nearing completion include:

 ``Evaluation of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs--A 
Follow-Up Study'' (FY 1991-present);
 ``Incidence and Prevalence of Drug Abuse Among Runaway and 
Homeless Youth'' (FY 1990-present);
 ``Evaluation of the Transitional Living Program for 
Homeless Youth'' (FY 1991-present);
 ``Study of the Underlying Causes of Youth Homelessness'' 
(1989-present); and
 ``National Evaluation of Home-Based Services Programs'' (FY 
1992-present).
4. Research and Demonstration (R&D) Studies Supported by FYSB
    Priority areas in which FYSB has recently sponsored Research and 
Demonstration Studies include:

 ``Home-Based Services: an Alternative to Out-of-Home 
Shelter'';
 ``Transitional Living/Independent Living Collaboration'';
 ``Cooperation Between Law Enforcement Agencies and Runaway 
and Homeless Youth Centers'';
 ``Prevention and Treatment of Alcohol Abuse Among Native 
American Youth in Runaway and Homeless Youth Centers'';
 ``Improving Minority Participation in Runaway and Homeless 
Youth Centers''; and
 ``Developing an Urban Strategy for the Prevention of Youth 
Suicide.''

    There is need for analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of this 
new information, leading to the identification of issues and trends in 
regard to both the client population served and the services being 
provided.
    This information will be used to initiate a dialogue with the field 
around current program requirements, practices, and concerns, and to 
identify needed changes in the manner in which FYSB programs are funded 
and implemented. For example, directors of FYSB grantee agencies and 
Federal officials have raised a number of program and management issues 
that an analysis, synthesis and interpretation of the emerging data 
will help clarify and prioritize. These issues include youth 
eligibility for FYSB's Runaway and Homeless Youth programs, fees for 
services, consolidation of Runaway and Homeless Youth programs, 
availability of physical and mental health care for runaway and 
homeless youth, and State and local laws affecting runaway and homeless 
youth programs.
    Readers are invited to suggest other areas in which program 
guidance is needed.
    An announcement of the availability of grant funds for these 
purposes, along with needed forms and instructions, will be published 
in the Federal Register as early in 1994 as possible after the comment 
period ends.

IV. Evaluation Studies

    Continuation funding will be awarded to two ongoing evaluation 
studies:

     ``Evaluation of the transitional Living Program for 
Homeless Youth`` (FY 1991--present). In addition to describing the 
number and characteristics of youth served by the grantees and the 
types of services provided, this study is examining the 
effectiveness of the program in alleviating the immediate problems 
of the youth, in preparing the youth for self-sufficiency through 
education and work, and in strengthening family relationships.
     ``Development of Manuals for ACYF to Use in Evaluating 
Demonstration Projects'' (FY 1993--present). This project is 
developing general and specific manuals to assist ACYF grantees in 
the design and implementation of their internal program evaluations. 
One of the specific manuals will be designed for FYSB grantees.

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance, Program Number 93.623, 
Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, and Program Number 93.550, 
Transitional Living Program for Homeless Youth.)

    Dated: January 3, 1994.
Olivia A. Golden,
Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 94-1857 Filed 1-27-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M