[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55266-55267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28025]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Proposed Program Priorities--ACF/ACYF/RHYP 98-1]
Runaway and Homeless Youth Program: Fiscal Year (FY) 1998
Proposed Program Priorities
AGENCY: Administration on Children, Youth and Families, ACF, DHHS.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments on proposed Fiscal Year
1998 Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) Program Priorities for the Basic
Center Program for Runaway and Homeless Youth; the Street Outreach
Program for Runaway, Homeless and Street Youth; and the Transitional
Living Program for Older Homeless Youth.
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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 public is urged to provide comments in response to
this notice. Suggestions and recommendations will be taken into
consideration in development of final priorities. The actual
solicitations for grant applications will be published later during
Fiscal Year 1998 in the Federal Register. No applications for funding
should be submitted at this time.
DATES: Closing date for submission of public comments is December 8,
1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to: James A. Harrell, Deputy
Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families,
Attention: Family and Youth Services Bureau, P.O. Box 1182, Washington,
DC 20013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anita Wright, Youth Development
Program Specialist, (202) 205-8030.
SUMMARY: The Family and Youth Services Bureau of the Administration on
Children, Youth and Families announces that public comments are being
requested on proposed program priorities for Fiscal Year 1998 for the
following programs:
The Runaway and Homeless Youth Basic Center Grant Program (BCP),
which provides financial assistance to local agencies to develop and
strengthen services to meet the immediate needs (e.g., outreach,
temporary shelter, counseling, and aftercare services) of runaway and
homeless youth and their families.
The Street Outreach Program for Runaway, Homeless and Street Youth,
which provides street-based outreach and education, including
treatment, counseling, and information and referral services for
runaway, homeless, and street youth who have been subjected to or are
at risk of experiencing sexual abuse.
The Transitional Living Program for Older Homeless Youth (TLP),
which supports local agencies which provide long term shelter, life-
skill training and support services to homeless youth to assist them in
making a smooth transition to self-sufficiency and to prevent long-term
dependency on social services.
Central to all FYSB programs and activities is a priority that
services be delivered through a comprehensive youth development
approach. A developmental perspective views adolescence as the passage
from the dependence of the child to the independence and self-
sufficiency of the adult. The various emotional, intellectual, social
and physical changes during this passage are natural, healthy responses
to the challenges and opportunities of growing up.
The tasks of youth services providers are seen, thus, not as
correcting the problems of troubled youth, but rather as providing for
the successive developmental needs of maturing individuals: The
psychological need to develop a clear self-identity; the sociological
need to be an effective and contributing member of the community; the
economic need to prepare for and enter into a career; and the familial
needs for sharing, for trusting, for giving and receiving love and
commitment. This developmental approach is fundamental to all FYSB
programs and activities.
Financial assistance for programs and support efforts discussed
below is contingent upon the availability of funds.
a. Basic Center Program Grants
Approximately 65 percent of the Basic Center grants awarded will be
non-competing continuation grants and approximately 35 percent will be
competitive new awards in Fiscal Year 1998.
Eligible applicants for new awards are current grantees with
project periods ending in Fiscal Year 1998 and otherwise eligible
applicants who are not current grantees. The applications will be
reviewed by State, and awards will be made during the last quarter of
Fiscal Year 1998 (July-September 1998).
b. Transitional Living Program Grants
All potential Fiscal Year 1998 TLP funds will be awarded in the
form of continuation grants and as new grants to applicants who
competed successfully during Fiscal Year 1997.
It is anticipated that all Fiscal Year 1999 funds will be used to
award non-competitive continuation grants. No TLP funds are expected to
be available in Fiscal Year 1999 to fund new-start applications.
Therefore, there will be no solicitation for competitive new-start TLP
applications in Fiscal Year 1998.
c. Street Outreach for Runaway, Homeless and Street Youth
Fiscal Year 1998 funds will be used to award new grants to eligible
applicants and non-competitive continuation awards to eligible
grantees.
d. Support Services for Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
(1) National Communications System
In Fiscal Year 1994, a five-year grant was awarded to the National
Runaway Switchboard, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois, to operate a National
Communications System to assist runaway and homeless youth in
communicating with their families and with service providers. Non-
competitive continuation funding will be awarded to the grantee in
Fiscal Year 1998. The five-year project period will end in Fiscal Year
1999.
(2) 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 receiving
service grants under the Act in order to strengthen programs and
enhance the knowledge and skills of youth workers.
The Family and Youth Services Bureau funds ten Cooperative
Agreements, one in each Federal Region, to provide T&TA to agencies
funded by FYSB. Each Cooperative Agreement is based on the
characteristics and different T&TA needs in the respective Region and
has a five-year project period that will end in Fiscal Year 1999. Non-
competitive continuation funding will be awarded to the ten T&TA
grantees in Fiscal Year 1998.
[[Page 55267]]
(3) National Clearinghouse on Runaway and Homeless Youth
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Family and Youth Services Bureau awarded a
five year contract to support a National Clearinghouse on Youth and
Families (NCFY). The purpose of the Clearinghouse is to disseminate
information to professionals and agencies involved in youth development
efforts and/or the delivery of direct services to runaway, homeless and
at-risk youth. The Clearinghouse collects, maintains and disseminates
reports and other materials, identifies areas in which new or
additional information is needed, and develops documents and materials
relevant to FYSB's mission and the needs of the field. Non-competitive
continuation funding will be awarded to the Clearinghouse in Fiscal
Year 1998.
(4) Runaway and Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHYMIS)
In Fiscal Year 1997, the Family and Youth Services Bureau awarded a
three year contract for continued development and implementation of the
Runaway and Homeless Youth Management Information System (RHYMIS) for
FYSB programs. The data generated by the system are used to produce
reports and information regarding FYSB's programs, including
information for required reports to Congress. In Fiscal Year 1998 this
effort will receive non-competitive continuation funding.
(5) Monitoring Support for FYSB Programs
The Family and Youth Services Bureau uses a comprehensive
monitoring instrument and site visit protocols, including a peer-review
component for monitoring runaway and homeless youth programs. In Fiscal
Year 1997, the Family and Youth Services Bureau awarded a three year
contract to provide logistical support for peer review monitoring. In
Fiscal Year 1998, this contract will receive non-competitive
continuation funding.
6. Conference Logistics and Management Support Contract
In Fiscal Year 1995, the Family and Youth Services Bureau awarded a
twelve-month contract, with two option years, for logistics and
management support. The purpose of the contract is to promote FYSB's
comprehensive youth development message by making the arrangements
necessary to assemble FYSB's grantees, youth development experts and
other youth service providers at meetings, conferences, workshops and
forums. In Fiscal Year 1998, the second year option will be funded to
continue this effort.
7. Research Demonstration and Management Initiatives
Section 315 of the Act authorizes the Department to award funds 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 identify emerging issues and develop and test models
which address such issues.
During Fiscal Year 1998, the Family and Youth Services Bureau will
continue to:
Support a youth development approach to the provision of services,
both from theoretical and practical perspectives;
Pursue the development of youth development performance based
indicators and outcome measures as a method of evaluating the
effectiveness of youth services;
Explore the potential for successful collaborations among federal
government agencies, state governments and local community based youth
services organizations, including the funding of possible pilot
demonstration efforts;
Continue to work in partnership with Regional Offices around the
review and assessment of grant applications and the development and
implementation of FYSB program efforts, and
Continue to make sure that funding for programs will occur in a
timely manner by publishing this Notice, as well as the final
priorities in the Federal Register, as early in the Fiscal Year as
possible.
We welcome specific comments and suggestions on these proposed
program priorities.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 93.623, Runaway and
Homeless Youth Program; Number 93.657, Transitional Living Program
for Homeless Youth; and Number 93.557, Street Outreach for Runaway
and Homeless Youth.)
Dated: October 15, 1997.
James A. Harrell,
Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Children, Youth and Families.
[FR Doc. 97-28025 Filed 10-22-97; 8:45 am]
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