[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 80054]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31975]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary


Input for a Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 
DHHS.

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in its role 
as the Chair of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs 
requests public comments to inform the development of a strategic plan 
for Federal youth policy.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before January 20, 2011.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments electronically through the 
FindYouthInfo.gov Web site via http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/provideinput.aspx. You may e-mail them to [email protected]. You 
may mail them to Sarah Potter, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
200 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 404E, Washington, DC 20201. To 
ensure proper handling, in the lower left hand corner of the envelope 
and in your correspondence clearly reference ``Strategic Plan for 
Federal Youth Policy.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit the Web site for the Interagency 
Working Group on Youth Programs at http://www.FindYouthInfo.gov; call 
FindYouthInfo.gov helpline at 1-877-231-7843 (this is a toll-free 
number); or e-mail your inquiry to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Overview of the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs and 
FindYouthInfo.gov

    The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs is comprised of 
staff from twelve Federal agencies that support programs and services 
that focus on youth: the U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. 
Department of Commerce; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Department of 
Education; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Chair); U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Department of Justice 
(Vice-Chair); U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Department of the 
Interior; U.S. Department of Transportation; Corporation for National 
and Community Service; and Office of National Drug Control Policy.
    The Working Group seeks to promote achievement of positive results 
for at-risk youth through the following activities:

     Promoting enhanced collaboration at the Federal, State, 
and local levels, including with faith-based and other community 
organizations, as well as among families, schools and communities, 
in order to leverage existing resources and improve outcomes;
     Disseminating information about critical resources, 
including evidence-based programs, to assist interested citizens and 
decision-makers, particularly at the community level, to plan, 
implement, and participate in effective strategies for at-risk 
youth;
     Developing an overarching strategic plan for Federal 
youth policy, as well as recommendations for improving the 
coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of youth programs, using 
input from community stakeholders, including youth; and
     Producing a Federal Web site, FindYouthInfo.gov, to 
promote effective community-based efforts to reduce the factors that 
put youth at risk and to provide high-quality services to at-risk 
youth.

II. Background on the Strategic Plan for Federal Youth Policy

    On March 11, 2009, the Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations 
Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8). The House Appropriations Committee Print, 
Division F--Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations directed the Interagency 
Working Group on Youth Programs to solicit input from young people, 
State children's cabinet directors, and non-profit organizations on 
youth programs and policies; develop an overarching strategic plan for 
Federal youth policy; and prepare recommendations to improve the 
coordination, effectiveness, and efficiency of programs affecting 
youth.
    The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs developed a 
framework to guide development of the strategic plan for Federal youth 
policy. This framework is available online at http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/provideinput.aspx. The framework illustrates how 
programs and practices--such as (1) Physical and mental health and 
wellness; (2) education; (3) juvenile justice intervention; (4) 
enrichment opportunities; (5) safety; (6) service learning; (7) 
employment; and (8) housing--pertain to youth up to age 24. The 
framework acknowledges that programs and policies are designed to meet 
the diverse needs of youth, including the general youth population, 
youth involved in systems, and special youth populations. The Working 
Group is focusing on youth across several developmental stages, 
including (1) early adolescence (ages under 14); (2) middle adolescence 
(ages 15-17); and (3) late adolescence/early adulthood (ages 18-24). 
The Working Group is focused on three overarching outcomes for youth 
through this framework: (1) basic needs: health, safety, and wellness; 
(2) school, family, and community engagement and connections; and (3) 
education, training, employment, transitions, and readiness for careers 
and adulthood.

III. Guiding Questions for Commenters

    The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs has identified a 
number of questions to focus on, and the Working Group is particularly 
interested in receiving comments addressing some or all of these 
questions.

    (a) What is the single most important thing youth need to be 
successful?
    (b) What programs really make a difference in the lives of 
youth? How do you know this?
    (c) What are the barriers to collaborating to improving youth 
outcomes and how can these barriers be removed?
    (d) What can Federal agencies do to assist? What are your ideas 
for Federal policy to improve the coordination, effectiveness, and 
efficiency of programs affecting youth?
    (e) How can youth be engaged in these efforts?

    Authority: Division F, Pub. L. 111-8; E.O. 13459, 73 FR 8003, 
February 12, 2008.

    Dated: December 10, 2010.
Sherry Glied,
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.
[FR Doc. 2010-31975 Filed 12-20-10; 8:45 am]
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