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CWLA 2001 Legislative Agenda
Younger Americans Act
© Child Welfare League of America. The content of these publications may not be reproduced in any way, including posting on the Internet, without the permission of CWLA. For permission to use material from CWLA's website or publications, contact us using our website assistance form.
Actions
- Support the Younger Americans Act (S. 1005, H.R. 17).
History
Introduced in the Senate June 7, 2001, by Senators James Jeffords (I-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Ted Stevens
(R-AK), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Max Cleland (D-GA), and in the House of Representatives January 3, 2001, by
Representatives George Miller (D-CA), Marge Roukema (R-NJ), Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), Bob Clement (D-TN), and
Jack Quinn (R-NY), this bipartisan legislation would provide new resources to ensure all youth have access to
opportunities and experiences they need to grow up and become contributing members of society.
The bill authorizes $5.75 billion over five years ($500 million in FY 2002) to support community-based efforts
to provide young people ages 10–19 with access to five core youth development resources:
- ongoing relationships with a caring adult,
- safe places with structured activities,
- access to services that promote healthy lifestyles,
- opportunities to acquire marketable skills, and
- opportunities for community service and civic participation.
Among the many types of activities that communities could fund under the Younger Americans Act are:
- mentoring,
- character development,
- youth centers and clubs,
- camps and programs outside of school hours,
- risk avoidance programs,
- academic and cultural enrichment,
- youth entrepreneurship,
- community service,
- civic participation activities,
- training or group counseling, and
- referrals to state certified counselors to provide services.
The Younger Americans Act targets youth who face greater challenges, including youth placed in correctional
facilities and other out-of-home residential settings; youth who live in areas with high concentrations of
poverty; youth living in rural areas; and youth at higher risk due to a history of abuse, neglect, or disconnection
from family or school.
The funding set aside to target these youth would be 60% of the money spent at the federal level, at least
43% of the money spent at the state level, and 30% of the money spent at the local level.
The legislation also contains specific provisions for involving youth in planning, implementation, and evaluation
decisions by requiring that one-third of the federal and local decisionmaking councils called for in the act be
comprised of people age 21 and younger.
Key Facts
Currently, there is no national federal policy to promote positive youth development. Existing federal initiatives
for young people either attempt to fix problem behavior such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and delinquency
or are education-based. Too many children and youth grow up without adequate family and community
support or the opportunity to build productive futures.
Young people must have real-life options before they make harmful decisions. Without improved resources,
young people with the fewest options are the ones most likely to resort to violence and display other problem
behaviors.
- Approximately eight million children under age 14 spend time without adult supervision on a regular basis. 1
- Children without adult supervision are at significantly greater risk for truancy from school, stress, poor grades, risk-taking behavior, and substance abuse. Children who spend more hours on their own and begin self-care at younger ages are at increased risk for poor outcomes. 2
- On school days, 3:00 P.M.–6:00 P.M. are the peak hours for teens to commit crimes, smoke, drink, use drugs, or engage in sexual activity. 3
- The U.S. Government Accounting Office estimates in 2002, the current number of afterschool programs for school-age children will meet as little as 25% of the demand in some urban areas. 4
Sources
- Miller, B.M. (1999). Unpublished findings. Wellesley, MA: National Institute on Out-of-School Time.
- Pettit, G.S., Laird, R.D., Bates, J.E., & Dodge, K.A. (1997). Patterns of afterschool care in middle childhood: Risk factors and developmental outcomes. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 43, 515–538.
- Snyder, H.N., & Sickmund, M. (1999). Juvenile offenders and victims: 1999 national report. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.
- U.S. General Accounting Office (1997). Welfare reform: Implications of increased work participation for child care. (GAO/HEHS-97-95). Washington, DC: Author.
CWLA Contact
Tim Briceland-Betts
703/412-2407
bricebet@cwla.org
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