Framework and Structures in the Field of Youth Policy
Youth welfare traditionally falls under state jurisdiction and each of the 50 states and approximately 3,000 coun - ties have their own complex systems in place. As a result, policies and practices at national, state, and local level are often very different in terms of funding and focus. By providing public funding and federal programs, the fede - ral government can, however, still influence state policy and set specific youth policy priorities. At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Health & Hu- man Services hast the highest budget allocated to youth programming. The Department is the government’s primary agency for planning, funding, and coordinating federal youth services. The affiliated Administration for Children and Families (ACF is responsible for federal programs that provide economic and social support to families, children, individuals, and communities, as well as foster care and adoption services for children with special needs. ACF administers more than 60 programs with a budget of more than USD 60 billion, making it the second largest agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Regional Operations ,
a subdivision of ACF also acts as the interface between the Department and local governments with a total of 10 statewide regional offices. These regional offices are res - ponsible for implementing federal programs locally. Are - as of focus for the Office of Families and Youth Services , which is also part of the ACF, include preventing youth homelessness, teen pregnancy, and domestic violence. The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs (IWGYP) has representatives from twenty-one federal agencies including the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Labor. This federal agency has many initiatives including programming on the prevention of underage drinking, fostering upward mobility for “op - portunity youth” (low-income or at-risk young people), bullying prevention, working with the children of incar - cerated parents, and more. On their website youth.gov, IWGYP offers several tools and resources to help youth- serving organizations, cities or counties plan, implement and participate in programs for youth. They also provide news around youth policy, funding opportunities and new programs. Currently they provide information on
29 topics that may affect youth, such as bullying in schools, out-of-school youth work, substance use, sex/gen - der identity, mental health, juvenile delinquency, and community enga - gement. The majority of youth engagement, policy initiatives, and programming takes place at the state and local level and within a student’s school community or through non-profit or - ganizations. For example, several na - tional organizations have local chap - ters that work with youth in ways that are specific to their local con - texts. The Boys and Girls Club of Ame- rica has programming that aims to ensure that young people can reach their full potential. This includes promoting high school graduation, engaging Black, Latino, and female youth in Science, Technology, Engi - neering, and Math (STEM), building leadership skills, promoting mental and emotional health and wellness, and many other initiatives. Big Brot- hers and Big Sisters of America is ano - ther national organization with local
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