Federal Youth Coordination Act

Currently, there are federal funding streams designed to meet varying needs of youth-afterschool programs, job training, mental health, etc.-but they are administered in silos, independent of one another. Youth's needs, however, are complex and interdependent. FYCA establishes a Federal Youth Development Council that will enable the federal government to implement multifaceted approaches to reaching youth by leveraging and coordinating the existing resources of different federal agencies.

FYCA (HR 856) passed the House of Representatives in November by an overwhelming majority; the vote was 353-62. The bill in the Senate (S 409) is awaiting action by the Heath, Labor, Education and Pensions (HELP) Committee, which has oversight over the content of the bill in the Senate. The HELP committee has to vote on the bill in order for it to go to the floor of the Senate for consideration. The bill is currently co-sponsored by Senators Coleman (R-MN), Stabenow (D-MI), Alexander (R-TN) and DeWine (R-OH). We are working to build more co-sponsors for the bill.

If you go to www.youthcoordinationact.org, you will be able to sign up your organization as a supporter, and use the links in the action center to gain access to sample letters and talking points. Personalized emails and phone calls to Senators asking them to co-sponsor the bill are most helpful now. If your Representative voted to support FYCA, you might also consider sending a thank you note. Encourage youth to participate, as this effort is on their behalf, and there is no stronger voice than the one who is benefiting directly.

No Caps on Kids! Campaign Join CWLA's "No Caps on Kids!" Campaign to make sure the voices of children, youth, and families, and those people and agencies who serve them, are heard on Capitol Hill during this year's federal budget process. http://cwla.org/advocacy/nocapsonkids.htm